18 THE CKATER NATIONAL FOREST. 



available for patrol work numbered 17 men. Each one of these had, 

 on an average, 66,000 acres of rough, mountainous country to cover, 

 and as a result, many fires had gained great headway before being 

 discovered. Once discovered, moreover, lack of telephone lines often 

 delayed a report to the headquarters office, while, after a report was 

 received, lack of roads and trails made it difficult and often impos- 

 sible to get an adequate fire-fighting force, together with the necessary 

 tools and supplies, promptly to the scene of the conflagration. Dur- 

 ing the summer 1,000 men were employed in fighting the fires on 

 the Crater Forest, but even this number proved inadequate. Five 

 companies of United States troops were therefore ordered to the 

 Forest by the War Department and rendered efficient service in 

 subduing the flames. In all, the cost to the Forest Service for fire 

 fighting on the Crater Forest during 1910 amounted to $40,000. 



One thousand acres of the burned area were sowed during the fall 

 of 1910. Owing to the complete failure of the local seed crop, it was 

 impossible to use native species in the work. Scotch pine was planted 

 on the yellow-pine type, and Norway spruce and European larch in 

 mixture on the Douglas-fir type. The cost was approximately $3 

 per acre. 



GRAZING. 



During the fiscal year 1911, 4,133 head of cattle and 9,525 head 

 of sheep grazed upon the Forest. The grazing land is confined chiefly 

 to the higher altitudes, on mountain meadows and in open timber. 

 The Forest offers practically nothing but summer range, only a few 

 }^ear-long permits being issued, and those all on the western portion. 

 Both sheep and cattle are excluded from the watershed from which 

 the city of Ashland gets its supply. 



The first permits for grazing on the Forest were issued in 1901. 

 Prior to that time the range had been controlled by a few large 

 stock owners, not local residents, whose policy it was to crowd the 

 small local owner off the land. This was not difficult to do, and, so 

 far as the local owner was concerned, it was exceedingly problematical 

 at the opening of any grazing season whether he would be able to 

 find range for his stock. With the creation of the Forest, however, 

 was inaugurated the present system of range allotment, by which 

 the bona fide settler living in or near the Forest, and who is de- 

 pendent for his living largely upon the small band of stock he owns, 

 has first right to the range and is allotted a certain portion for his 

 exclusive use. Under this system the range has undergone a distinct 

 improvement, and to-day is capable of supporting many more head 

 of stock than at the time of the Forest's creation. During the last 

 few years the quality of stock has also shown steady improvement. 

 The greater number of cattle now grazed upon the Forest are white- 

 faced Herefords, which are found to do better here than any other 

 breed. 



