Bui. 745, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate II. 



Fig. I.— Soapweed Ready to be Cut for Stock Feed. 



The dead leaves have been burned off. One hundred and fifty plants, each averaging 35 pounds 

 in weight, or more than 5,200 pounds of soapweed per acre, were cut from this area. It is 

 probable that more careful selection in cutting should have been practiced so as to leave 

 enough plants for protection against wind erosion. There are fewer young plants here than 

 in the average stand over the range. 



Fig. 2,— Where Soapweeds are Arranged in this Manner and Burned 

 to Remove the Dead Leaves, the Fire Gets Too Hot and Burns Part 

 of the Green Leaves. 



The loss in weight resulting from such burning on the Jornada Range Reserve was 42 per cent. 

 Where the plants were arranged in rows two plants wide with the butts to the center, the loss 

 in weight from burning was approximately 30 per cent. Burning on the range as shown in 

 fig. 1 above is the most effective method where there is no danger of fire spreading and where 

 there are but few young soapweed sprouts which may be killed by the fire. 



