12 RANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 



numbers of range horses that were allowed to run at will throughout 

 the entire year, and thus continue their depredations, this sj^stem 

 would undoubtedly have proved very satisfactory. 



Shortly after this leasing system had been inaugurated a heavy 

 immigration to central Washington took place. This immigration, 

 together with the discovery which had been made shortly before, that 

 large areas of land previously supposed to be of value for grazing 

 purposes only would grow wheat, caused a rapid settling up of this 

 region. As a result, large areas of bunch-grass land were home- 

 steaded and purchased, until at the present time nearly all the land 

 that is smooth enough for cultivation is used in growing wheat, or is 

 being prepared for that purpose. This rapid settling up of the 

 bunch-grass land has forced the stockmen into the coulee and hill 

 lands, too rough for cultivation, and into the true arid regions and the 

 mountains. In the arid regions the range is also gradually growing 

 less, a condition which will continue, as irrigation, owing to the 

 incentive given it by Federal legislation, will be vastly extended in 

 the near future. 



The progressive stockmen, in order to keep pace with the rapid 

 development of the country for farming purposes, which has resulted 

 in the crowding of their stock into much smaller confines, have pur- 

 chased railroad lands, and wherever possible they have • also leased 

 the State lands that are unfit for cultivation and have fenced them 

 for grazing purposes. Many of the original purchasers of the range 

 lands are now in a prosperous condition. Others, who have acquired 

 their lands within the past two or three years, are finding themselves 

 seriously handicapped owing to the badly depleted condition of these 

 ranges. Although they have much more to contend with than those 

 who purchased before the depletion of the ranges was so great they 

 will Avith persistent effort and judicious management eventually be 

 successful. Those who have been too slow to realize the changed 

 conditions have found themselves without range land, and for the 

 most part these men have been compelled to go out of stock raising 

 as a business. At the present time there is very little free range 

 land except m the high mountain areas, where the grazing season 

 does not last more than five months, and in the Okanogan country. 



In the Okanogan country, owing to the present laws, it is impos- 

 sible to secure tracts of land larger than 160 acres. Upon so small 

 an area no one can make a living, and settlers are therefore dependent 

 in part upon the outside range. Fortunately for them the natural 

 conditions have in the past protected the country from being made a 

 wilderness by overgrazing. The winters are long and the snowfall 

 is quite heavy, thus necessitating winter feeding. For this reason 

 the range horses, which have been a very great factor in the destruc- 

 tion of the ranges to the south, are not found to any great extent in 



