GRAZIXG AXD FORAGE PRODUCTION OX XATIOXAL FORESTS 13 



some of them supply the forage grazed early in the season and others 

 during the midsummer and late fall. 



PLANT INDICATORS OF INSUFFICIENT FORAGE DEVELOPMENT 



The earliest spring growth on the range is often the cause of 

 serious range abuse. Xot uncommonly when the first bit of leafage 

 shows stockmen are prompted to turn their animals on the area 

 before the new growth of the better and more palatable vegetation 

 appears. Cropping at the time the earliest growth begins is apt to 

 cause a very sharp decline in the forage yield (PI. II, fig. 1) . 



Plants of the following genera, when in full blossom or somewhat 

 prior to such development, are indicators of insufficient growth of 

 the forage for cropping (fig. 5) : 



Steerhead (BikukuUa uniflora) . 4 5 



Spring beauty (Glaytorda lanceolata) . 



Little trout lily, locally called dogtooth violet {Erythronium 



parvifloimm) . 

 Waterleaf {Hydrophyllum capitatum) . 4 5 

 Trail potato {Orogenia line an folia). 4 ' 5 

 Newberry bladderpod {Physdria newberryi) . 4 

 Smooth buttercup {Ranunculus glaberrimus) . 4 5 

 Tongue-leaf violet {Viola lingucefolia) . 

 "When these plants are in full bloom such important plants as the 

 wheat grasses and the needle grasses usually have not produced 

 leaf blades 2 inches in length; more commonly their herbage is 

 just beginning to appear. The leafage of other herbaceous species, 

 like dandelion, may have attained a height growth of 2 inches, but 

 the new growth of most of the forage cover is merely breaking the 

 surface soil or the individual plants are showing only one or two 

 of their leaves. The leafage of the browse plants is for the most 

 part in the bud. 



Moreover, many poisonous plants begin growth with the earliest 

 of the unpalatable cover, and losses from eating them are usually 

 heavier when grazing begins very early. In cases of very early 

 grazing heavy losses are apt to occur among cattle from larkspur 

 poisoning (PL II, fig. 2) and among sheep from death camas 

 (fig. 6). Also it may lead to damage to the forest. Because of mal- 

 nutrition the animals often consume more or less of the needles and 

 tender twigs of coniferous reproduction. 



PLANT INDICATORS OF SUFFICIENT FORAGE DEVELOPMENT 



When the range as a whole is ready for grazing those early species 

 given as indicators of insufficient forage development have matured. 

 The spring beauty, little trout lily, and buttercup have all flowered 

 and their leafage is beginning to wilt; the tongue-leaf violet has 

 only a few flowers remaining; the trail-potato leafage is dried up 

 and the plant has practically disappeared. 



Although the adequate development of the important forage 

 species on a particular range should be the main basis for deter- 



4 Common in the oak -brush, type. 5 Common in the aspen-fir type. 



Plants not otherwise designated are common in the three major types. 



