WILL MORE FORAGE PAY? 57 



crops on summer-fallow or seeding to such drought-resistant grasses 

 as crested wheat for hay or early spring and fall range, to complement 

 the native range short, warm-season grasses (fig. 7). 



Farmers frequently delay such stabilizing adjustments because it is 

 difficult to visualize the various steps involved in making the necessary 

 changes over periods of several years and their probable effects, both 

 on current and longer term farm incomes. Effects of seeding wheat 

 land to crested wheat grass on the organization, production, and in- 

 come of a wheat -cattle ranch located in southwestern North Dakota 

 are illustrated in table 12. The data are adapted from actual opera- 

 tions of a ranch representative of many in the area. The operator of 

 this ranch has seeded 90 acres of his wheat land to crested wheat 

 grass. In addition to the organization and income possibilities under 

 both the former and present systems, this table also includes an al- 



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SCS-WYO-503 



Figure 7. — Cattle grazing crested wheat grass. 



tentative ranch plan in which the entire 280 acres of wheat land is 

 seeded to crested wheat grass. 



Under the alternative and present plans cattle numbers have in- 

 creased to utilize the increased feed provided by the crested wheat 

 grass. Under the former plan breeding cows numbered 92, under 

 the present system 100 head, and under the alternative system 126 head. 

 Sixty yearlings were sold under the old plan, 66 under the present, 

 and 84 head under the alternative plan. The 90 acres of wheat land 

 seeded to crested wheat grass under the present plan included the 

 poorest wheat land, averaging 10.9 bushels of wheat per acre as com- 

 pared to an average of 12 bushels for the remainder of the wheat land. 

 Wheat is seeded on summer-fallow, and oats and barley on corn 

 ground. Acreages and yields of corn, oats, and barley remain con- 

 stant under all three plans. 



