82 



DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



* In applying this system of management to any pasture lands the essen- 

 tial steps are as follows: (1) determine the number of seed maturity of 

 the most important forage plants; (2) determine the proportion of the 

 grazing season which remains after the date of seed maturity; (3) if one- 

 third of the grazing period, for example, remains, the pastures should be 

 divided into three parts, of approximately equal carrying capacity and 

 fenced separately, or rather provision made for controlling the stock; 

 (4) the stock should then be held off of one area until seed of the important 

 plants matures. It should then be grazed the first year as close as pos- 

 sible without injuring the vegetation by trampling. In the second year 

 the stock should again be kept off this area until after seed maturity and 

 then allowed to graze it moderately. 



Moderate grazing will destroy perhaps 50 percent of the seedlings 

 which have sprung up from the seed crop of the year before, but the use of 

 the forage and the planting of an additional seed crop will more than off- 

 set this loss. 



Heavy grazing the second year would destroy nearly all of the seed- 

 lings and should therefore be prevented. 



(5) If the original vegetation is vigorous it should produce fertile seed 

 the first, as well as the second year of protection, and in the third season 

 the protected area should be grazed second, or midseason, and another 

 pasture chosen for deferred grazing. 



If the original vegetation has been weakened by continuous early 

 grazing it will not produce fertile seed until the second season of protec- 

 tion and in such case the first area selected for reseeding should be pro- 

 tected the third year until after seed maturity. 



The second and third areas should be treated in the same way, and 

 after the rotation is complete early and late grazing should be alternated 

 for each area in order to keep the vegetation vigorous and occasionally 

 plant an additional seed crop. 



According to the foregoing the complete outline for range improve- 

 ment and management of natural range lands in the Western states 

 would be: 



1. Limit the number of stock to what the range in its existing state 

 will support, at least in good feeding condition. 



2. Avoid grazing any of the area while the ground is wet in spring 

 and the vegetation just beginning growth. 



3. Control and distribute the stock by fences, watering places and salt 

 troughs or other means, so as to minimize handling, natural travel or 

 congregating in large herds. 



4. Apply the system of deferred and rotation grazing outlined, as 

 nearly as possible. 



5. Increase the number of stock as the condition of the range justi- 

 fies, keeping in mind that they should be turned off in good condition. 

 DEAN BURNETT: 



The next speaker is a well-known authority in livestock in the Middle- 

 West, who has, especially in Kansas, achieved a large measure of success. 



