24 RANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 



of the important steps in the improvement of the ranges of that 

 State. 



In eastern Washington some of the more successful stockmen use 

 this method to the extent of dividing their holdings into winter and 

 summer pastures. Undoubtedly much of their success, as compared 

 with the failure of others, can be very largely attributed to that fact. 



USING PASTURES BEFORE GROUND IS SETTLED IN THE SPRING. 



One of the most serious damages to the range is caused by turning 

 the stock upon it too early in the season. A great deal of the injury 

 that has been done by sheep is due to this cause. Their owners, in 

 order to get ahead of others, have pushed the sheep out on to the 

 bunch-grass land while the ground was still soft and " punchy.' 7 In 

 this manner the ground became badly packed and many young plants 

 were destroyed almost before they had begun to grow, while much of 

 the prevailing vegetation was greatly retarded in its growth by being 

 nipped too early in the season. This same process was kept up as 

 they followed the retreating snow up into the high mountains. Nu- 

 merous instances have been observed where sheep have been run over 

 the mountain ranges even before the frost was out of the ground. 



When the stockman once gets his range under his control he should 

 endeavor to avoid too early grazing. He will find that in the long- 

 run it will be better to hold the stock from this area until the ground 

 has become settled and the vegetation has had a good start. If it is 

 impossible to do this, he should endeavor to confine the damage to as 

 small an area as possible. 



IMPROVEMENT OF STOCK. 



Not only should the stockman do all he can to improve his land, 

 but he should strive equally hard to improve the quality of his stock. 

 In the early days, when there was plenty of good range, it made 

 comparatively little difference about the quality of stock, as even a 

 poor-grade animal would yield a good profit. To-day, with the 

 rapid fencing of the range, these conditions are changed. Now 

 grass almost everywhere costs money. Land must for the greater 

 part be owned or rented. The stockman can no longer afford to 

 keep that type of stock that does not give him the best returns for 

 the effort expended and that will best cover his range, whether it 

 be cattle, sheep, or horses. 



a Bnl. 13, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept of Agriculture, pp. 19 and 26. 



