24 MISC. PUBLICATION 9 0, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



It is a very common practice to graze two or more kinds of stock 

 on the same range. This is called "common use." The theory of 

 this practice is that one kind of stock will use one class of forage 

 while another kind will utilize another class of forage, thus securing 

 a full utilization of the forage on the range unit. Sometimes this 

 practice works out very well. At other times, too many of each 

 kind of stock are placed on the range, and overgrazing results, 

 especially overgrazing of the plants both kinds relish. Again it 

 sometimes happens that the presence of more than one kind of stock 

 on the range makes it diffcult to manage any kind very successfully. 



In managing the ranges, matters other than the first choices of the 

 livestock need to be considered. Very often economic conditions, or 

 the established practices in a region, make it desirable or necessary 

 to graze a kind of stock to which the range is not best adapted. It is 

 being demonstrated more and more that livestock will do well on 

 ranges other than the kind they like best. For example, in southern 

 Utah, cattle do fairly well on almost straight browse range. May 

 lambs produced on several almost straight grass ranges, have reached 

 about 80 pounds in September. 



There are highly palatable plants that do not appear in great 

 abundance, such as clover, mountain dandelion, cow parsnip {Hera- 

 cleum lanatum) , and the like. Livestock will search out these dainties 

 in preference tp practically all other plants. If it is desired to 

 preserve these plants on the ranges the number of stock would have 

 to be so limited that these plants would not be fully grazed each year. 

 Obviously but few stock could be placed on the ranges under such 

 conditions. 



There are many fairly palatable plants on the ranges, however, 

 that are abundant. This is the class of forage that should be main- 

 tained. It should be utilized as fully as possible, provided that 

 enough is left each year to assure reproduction and a vigorous, 

 luxuriant growth year after year. 



FORAGE PRODUCTION VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR 



Forage production on the ranges varies considerably from year 

 to year, according to climatic conditions. For example, records kept 

 at the former Great Basin Experiment Station in the mountains east 

 of Ephraim, Utah, show that during the dry season of 1921, forage 

 growth was 65 per cent of average, whereas during the moist season 

 of 1925 the forage production was 125 per cent of average. This 

 seems to be a tremendous variation, but it is believed the greater 

 nutritive value of the less succulent forage during dry years lessens 

 the difference between the production of forage in wet and dry 

 seasons. 



The fact remains, however, that years vary much in forage pro- 

 duction and the carrying capacity of the ranges. On ranges too 

 fully stocked, the poor forage seasons mean far too heavy utilization 

 of plants already weakened by the adverse climatic conditions. 

 Naturally the plants suffer a severe setback. The stock also suffer, 

 and their poor condition usually means a profitless year to the owner. 



A safe and wise way is to stock ranges on the basis of an average 

 year's production, making due allowance for some forage to be left 



