32 FOEAGE CO^DITIO^S ON KOBTHEEX BOEDEE OF GEE AT BASIN. 



on the prairies of the Dakotas that lire is really more injurious than 

 close grazing. This region is too far removed from railroads to have 

 the numerous conflagrations attributed to that source. It can be 

 attributed to no other agency than that of criminal negligence. In 

 traveling from Burns to Drewsey, via Silvies. we passed over areas 

 where six separate fires had raged during the past two or three months. 

 Two or three of these were in progress when we passed through. 

 In every mountain range visited evidences of fire were found. Even 

 the snowbush (Ceanothus velutinus) was burned off in places in the 

 vicinity of Bartlett Peak and in the White Horse Mountains. There 

 appeared to be good evidence that the one in the former area was 

 willfully set for the purpose of facilitating the movements of bands 

 of sheep from one pasture to another. This evidence was cor- 

 roborated by at least six individuals. The site of an old fire in the 

 White Horse Mountains, set by Indians about three years ago. was 

 very interesting from both scientific and economic points of view. 

 The shrubbery was of course all burned off and a little of it was 

 growing again from the stumps. The grasses showed a very marked 

 difference in the degree to which they succumbed to the effects of the 

 fire. The fescues appeared to be all killed, while the Nevada blue 

 grass was growing nicely. Buckley's blue grass withstood the fire 

 better than the fescues, but not nearly so well as the other blue grass. 

 It is strange that more care should not be taken of the little shrub- 

 bery and timber that exists in the region. It is with the greatest 

 difficulty that the ranchers from Winnemucca to Burns are able to get 

 sufficient wood for posts and fires. On many ranches poplar and 

 juniper is about the only available timber for fence posts, and these 

 must be hauled from 30 to 50 miles. Where brush and wood are so 

 scarce and mean so much when considered from either standpoint 

 of immediate use or that of conservation of moisture and protection of 

 soil, more care should certainly be exercised to prevent fires. As an 

 example of negligence we might mention one which came under our 

 direct observation while en route between Silvies and the Calamity 

 settlement. On reaching the headwaters of the Calamity drainage 

 we met two parties, one evidently campers, the other a round-up out- 

 fit. Farther down the valley we discovered a locality where some 

 party had camped the previous night. They had built two fires, one 

 of which was kindled at the base of a large pine, which, at the time we 

 passed it at 9 o'clock in the morning, was burning vigorously up to a 

 distance of 10 feet above the ground. It is true that the whole region 

 had been burned off a short time before. There was consequently no 

 danger of further destruction excepting to this one tree, but the same 

 negligence would doubtless obtain under other circumstances. It 

 is needless to say that the winter feed was completely destroyed, 

 and that it will take both o-rass and timber manv vears to recover 



