62 



Pasturage in the United States. 



Exhausted Pasturage in the United States. 

 The United States Department of Agriculture has recently 

 published information relating to the exhaustion of pastures 

 in the south-west of the country, consequent on the effects ot 

 •continued overstocking, and the mistakes which have been 

 made in dealing with native grasses and other forage plants. 

 One of the richest sections of central Texas is mentioned as a 

 rtype of the conditions which obtain throughout a wide extent 

 of territory, where thirty years ago large herds of buffaloes 

 ranged almost undisturbed and small herds were still found 

 as recently as 1877. The systematic settlement of the district 

 in question commenced in 1883 with the advent of the rail- 

 road. All the settlers were engaged in stock-raising. The 

 •abundance and luxuriance of the native grasses were such as 

 to support three hundred head of cattle per square mile, and 

 tthe possibility of any of these grasses becoming extinct w as 

 not then considered. Nevertheless the carrying capacity of 

 the land has steadily decreased, and it is an exceptional 

 property that can now carry one head of stock to five acres. 

 This rate is indeed stated to have been the average ten years 

 ,ago, and the present opinion of the stockmen of the region is 

 that the capacity to maintain stock on land, which could 

 ■originally support five hundred cows to every square mile, 

 has decreased so much that ten to twelve acres per cow is not 

 an exceptional case, but the general rule. This result has been 

 ■caused principally by overstocking the ranges, but the prairie 

 •dogs and jack rabbits have also damaged the land; and the best 

 natural grass country in the United States has been almost 

 destroyed. As regards remedies it is the popular belief that 

 in order 10 recuperate and bring back the former luxuriant 

 vegetation of the ranges the land merely requires rest. 1 his 

 is, however, not the view of the special agent in charge of the 

 Government grass station at Abilene, in Texas. " Resting the 

 range," he says, " will greatly help it, but something more must 

 be done to bring it back to its original luxuriance, if indeed that 

 is now possible." He adds, moreover, that the agriculturists 

 of Texas are not different from those of other States in the 

 matter of destroying grass. Not only has the stockman been 

 reckless in this direction, but even the farmer has been his 



