34 STOCK RANGES OF NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. 



Iii the Trinity and Inner Coast Range mountains, as well as in the 

 Sierra Nevada, it is customary to drive the stock up the mountains to 

 the subalpine meadows for summer pasture. For several years the 

 Hupa Indians have followed this practice ou Trinity Summit, the 

 meadows which occur at about 6,500 to 7,000 feet altitude being a 

 favorite range for the cattle of the reservation. 



CARRYING CAPACITY. 



Present capacity. — It is difficult to obtain exact data as to the pres- 

 ent carrying capacity of the ranges, stockmen being loath to give fig- 

 ures for obvious reasons. The Blue Rock Range, of 2,500 acres, is 

 said to cany 1,200 head of sheep and 100 head of horned stock, or an 

 equivalent of an acre and a half to a sheep and 7 acres to each head 

 of cattle. This is the same ratio for sheep as is reported for the 

 prairies around Sherwood Valley. On the ranges near Bells Springs 

 the maximum capacity is given as little more than an acre to one 

 head of sheep, and 5, 6, or sometimes even 10 or 12 acres to one head 

 of cattle. It is said that on the poorest ranges, which have become 

 worn-out by overstocking, it takes 20 acres to support one head of 

 cattle. 



The ranges ou Walker Mountain and Sherwood Mountain seem to 

 be in better condition than those north of Cummings. Danthonia and 

 soft brome grass are much more abundant and the maximum carry- 

 ing capacity is higher (at present), the ratio being reported as only 4 

 or even 3 acres to one head of cattle. The latter figures may, how- 

 ever, appl}' only to open range or may include winter pasturage in 

 the meadows instead of on woodland "browse." Such heavy stock- 

 ing can not long be maintained, however. Mr. Blair, on Sherwood 

 Mountain, has 200 acres of range and carries 60 to 80 head of hogs, 

 40 to 50 head of cattle, and a few horses. a 



On the ranges which were found to be in the best condition it was 

 learned that not less than 8 acres was allowed for each head of cattle 

 and 1| acres for each sheep. 



Colonel Harding's range of some 13,000 acres is said to cany about 

 400 cattle, 100 horses, and 5,000 sheep, or a total equivalent of some 

 1,600 head of cattle, about 1 to 8 acres. 



These ratios are supposed to include both open and woodland or 

 brush range, It is said that there are usually about 2 acres of the 

 latter to every 1 acre of clear land, but the proportion varies some- 

 what with the locality. Open range alone is said to be capab e of 

 carrying 1 head of cattle to 4 or 5 acres and 1 head of sheep to 1 acre 

 during the season. 



Former capacity. — The first white settlers in the valleys north of 

 Walker Mountain appear to have located in 1852 or 1853, and they 



a It is possible that my informant was in error as regards these figures. I much 

 doubt whether any range in the region is as heavily stocked as this statement 

 would indicate. 



