RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 59 



meadows in run-down condition are privately owned is evidence that 

 the demand for range has not become acute enough to result in ex- 

 pensive improvement and the effort necessary for preservation and 

 wise use. To some extent this applies also to seeding other than in 

 meadows. When everybody concerned is prepared to share volun- 

 tarily in the improvement and upkeep and wise use of all range, the 

 matter of seeding will assume greater importance than at present in 

 comparison with other range improvements. 



Meantime there is opportunity for careful observation on every 

 National Forest to select the areas where seeding will probably be 

 warranted when this method of improvement becomes of enough 

 comparative importance. 



Time of seeding, quantity of seed, methods of seeding, cultural 

 treatment, and protection from grazing until the plants have become 

 firmly established are fully discussed in Bulletin 4. 1 The selection 

 of species for seeding also is fully discussed in the same bulletin. 

 The list given, however, includes a number of species which should 

 be tested further by seeding under expert supervision before they are 

 used extensively. The species which have given the best results are 

 timothy, Kentucky blue grass, smooth brome grass, recltop, alsike 

 clover, and white clover. Range seeding should be confined primarily 

 to these species unless other species are known locally to have given 

 satisfactory results under conditions similar to those on lands where 

 seeding is to be done. 



Investigations have been tinder way for several years to determine 

 the practicability of hastening revegetation on depleted ranges by 

 seeding with seed of suitable native forage plants. A number of 

 promising species have been grown in nurseries in the hope of select- 

 ing plants which can be placed under cultivation so that seed may 

 be secured without prohibitive cost. The indications are that, for a 

 number of years at least, the most economical method will be to pro- 

 tect areas where the plants of which seed is desired are already grow- 

 ing vigorously and from these areas collect seed for use on similar 

 denuded lands in the same locality. While the cost of collecting the 

 native seed is high and the seed often of low fertility, there appear 

 to be future possibilities of building up and maintaining range in this 

 way. Further tests on a large scale are under way to find out more 

 definitely the results which may be expected, as well as the cost. 

 Reliable data will no doubt be available by the time that extensive 

 seeding can be undertaken. 



NATURAL RESEEDING. 



The limited possibility of increasing the forage crop by seeding 

 range lands to cultivated forage plants emphasizes the need of build- 



1 Sampson, Arthur W., The Reseeding of Depleted Grazing Lands to Cultivated Forage 

 Plants. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bui. 4, 1913* 



