GRAZING RANGES IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA. 35 
that were not watered grew about 3 inches high or less. It is very 
doubtful if a crop of this grass can be grown without irrigation, 
even on that part of the reserve that receives most water. 
Not so unsatisfactory, however, are the results obtained by scat- 
tering seeds of the native grasses upon the bare spots, even where 
the soil conditions are not good. For a number of years it has been 
the habit of Mr. McCleary to scatter seeds of the local native grasses 
upon bare spots in his pastures. Since hay cutting has been going 
on, it has been possible to get seeds in some quantity at the hay baler, 
and he has taken advantage of this means and has each year scat- 
tered seeds in considerable quantity. Many gravelly slopes that 
would otherwise have remained bare are now grassed as the result 
of this treatment. (PI. X, fig. 1.) Other things being equal, this 
method will get results in the course of two or three years that would 
occur much more slowly without scattering the seeds over the ground, 
though difficulty in getting germination sometimes occurs. (Pl. X, 
fig. 2.) This method of reestablishing the native species is very 
inexpensive and seemingly warrants the time and effort. 
Experiments with sheep.—aAfter the large field had been under 
fence for a number of years and the crowfoot-grama area had shown 
considerable improvement, an arrangement was made to try feeding 
off with sheep that part of it lying north of Box Canyon. A supply 
of water was developed in the canyon and a small band of sheep 
(about 1,200 head) was put on the area in the early spring. They 
stayed on the reserve about 60 days and were under the care of a 
Mexican herder, just as sheep are handled on the open range. While 
there was apparently an abundance of feed for such a band, the ani- 
mals did not improve. As the dry spring and early summer weather 
began the water supply gave out and it was necessary to move the 
sheep. The next spring another trial was made in the same way. 
A small band was put on the reserve. These sheep were in very 
much weakened condition when they went on the reserve, but they 
did not recover as it was hoped they would on the abundant dry 
feed to which they were taken. They were on the reserve from 
February 22 to May 16, and lambed during the 30 days beginning 
March 18. In May, as they were leaving the reserve because of fail- 
ure of the water supply, there were 440 ewes and 260 lambs in the 
band, and they were all in very poor condition. 
The results of these experiments indicate that the grass of this 
region is not good feed for sheep, because it is too dry at the time 
of year when sheep need succulent feed to produce milk for the lambs. 
Dry feed at lambing time and while the lambs are young is unfavor- 
able to the business in several ways, even though there is an abundance 
of the feed. Since the perennial grasses have dominated most of the 
better part of the reserve, the production of spring annuals has 
decreased quite markedly, and the spring feed for sheep is not as 
