GRAZING AND FORAGE PRODUCTION ON NATIONAL FORESTS 



35 



over those not treated. The aftermath produced by wild geranium 

 is flattened to the ground by snow, withers, and affords hardly any 

 protection to the young shoots in the spring. 



The disadvantage in removing the aftermath is that the crown 

 of the plant may be left exposed to the elements, a factor of conse- 

 quence where the winter temperature is low, the soil freezes deeply, 

 and the wind movement is high. Also, continuous close removal of 

 the late growth is not conducive to the addition of humus to the soil, 

 and by increasing the danger of excessive run-off and erosion it 

 tends to decrease considerably the potential growth capacity of the 

 soil. 



Table 11. — Methods used and results obtained in the harvesting of snowberry 



Plot No. 



Number of 



Yield per plot 



Yield per plant 



plants 



(grams) 



(grams) 



1921 



1922 



1921 



1922 



1921 



1922 



5 



1 



25.12 



0.40 



5.02 



0.40 



5 



5 



31.40 



15.04 



6.28 



3.01 



5 



5 



31.89 



10.54 



6.38 



2.11 



5 



5 



9.35 



7.52 



1.87 



1.50 



Per cent 

 decrease 

 per plant 

 on the 

 basis of 

 yield in 

 1921 



Group 1 

 Group 2 

 Group 3 

 Group 4 



SY-1-5... 

 SY-6-10-. 

 SY-11-15 

 SY-16-20 



-92.0 

 -52.1 

 -66.9 



i Plants were stripped of their leaves four times at monthly intervals and again at end of season. First 

 stripping made two weeks after beginning of growth. 



2 One-half of the foliage was removed four times at monthly intervals and leafage was removed at end of 

 season. 



3 Stripped once (two weeks after beginning of growth) and again just before dropping of leaves. 

 * Stripped once late in the season just before dropping of leaves. 



CROPPING OF BROWSE PLANTS 



Four methods were adopted for harvesting the foliage of snow- 

 berry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus). Vigorous young plants of rea- 

 sonable uniformity, averaging about 2 feet in height, were selected 

 on a typical range area in the oak-brush type and harvested during 

 the seasons of 11)21 and 1922. The methods used and results ob- 

 tained are shown in Table 11. 



The method used in Group 1 was the most severe. Four of the 

 plants were killed by the first year's treatment, and the other died 

 after the first defoliation during the second year. In Group 2, 

 where one-half of the foliage was removed at each harvesting, four 

 of the five plants were fairly vigorous at the end of the second year's 

 treatment. In group 3, three of the five plants were vigorous and 

 one was weak at the end of the second year's treatment. In Group 

 4, in which the plants were merely cropped according to the de- 

 ferred grazing plan, the best results were obtained. In actual graz- 

 ing practice a considerable portion of the leafage of browse vege- 

 tation usually remains even on closely utilized lands. Such a com- 

 mon range plant as snowberry, however, is susceptible to much the 

 same physiological reactions as herbaceous vegetation in the matter 

 of pasture use. 



MOISTURE CONTENT OF FORAGE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE 



While a certain amount of succulence in range forage is undoubt- 

 edly an asset and appears to be associated more or less directly with 



