8 BULLETIN 749, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
fertile seed, and the establishment of seedlings are most important; 
and the goat grazing should be adjusted so as to interfere as little « as 
possible with these plant functions. 
Continuous close cropping of the forage during the growing season 
removes the leaves of the palatable species as fast as they are pro- 
duced. If the reots are not killed by starvation, they are often 
trampled out of the ground by the goats’ hoofs. Hence the palatable 
sp ecles fail te reproduce and eradueilly disappear; and the unpala- 
table species, having a greater chance for growth and reproduction, 
gradually take the place of the palatable species. Only a very open 
stand is formed. Erosion follows, the valuable surface soil is washed 
and blown away, and reestablishment of the palatable forage cover is 
made most difficult. 
This denuded condition prevails especially where grazing has been 
excessively concentrated around bed grounds used every night 
throughout the growing season. It is important, therefore, that goats 
be bedded in any one piace for only a short period. This will not 
8 eliminate the concentration of grazing but will also secure a 
more uniform utilization of all the range forage. 
it 7? forage is given a complete rest, or is only lightly grazed 
during the growing season, the palatable vegetation has an oppor- 
tunity to make normal growth. With normal growth fertile seeds 
are produced, the seedlings are given a chance to become established, 
and an appreciable increase in the palatable vegetation may result. 
To ascertain the effect of giving the forage a rest from grazing, 
plots were established on seriously overgrazed, southwestern goat 
ranges; and for two years the areas were protected from grazing 
during part or all of the growing period. and closely grazed at other 
times, the browse, because of its scarcity, being overgrazed. The 
increase in density of palatable forage in th e two years averaged ap- 
proximately 67 per cent for grasses and 4 per cent for browse. The 
ereatest increases were approximately 125 per cent for the grasses 
and 27 per cent for the browse. When overgrazed goat range is given 
a rest during the growing season and not overgrazed at other times, 
the grass recuperates readily. The brush recovers more slowly. 
When the range has been only lightly overgrazed the brush also 
recuperates readily with protection, but if the range has been badly 
overgrazed the brush requires several years before it makes normal 
growth. | 
When range is fuily stocked it is not always possible to allow all 
the summer range a rest from grazing during the growing season. 
if the winter range and the summer-and-fall range can be inter- 
changed advantageously each of these divisions can be given protec- 
tien in different years; but it is often impossible to interchange them 
because snow prevents winter use of the range reserved for summer 
2 
