GOATS ON FAR WESTERN RANGES. 9 
and fall. It is unnecessary, however, to give the entire summer-and- 
fall range a rest from grazing during the growing season. If it is 
stocked so as to prevent overgrazing, and if grazing is deferred on 
successive parts until after seed maturity and then the surplus forage 
utilized, all of the forage may be fully grazed and the vegetation 
maintained in a state capable of maximum production. ; 
This system is known as “the deferred and rotation system of 
erazing.”? For example, in the Southwest the summer-and-fall 
ranges are grazed from about June 1 to November 1, or approxi- 
mately five months. The greater part of the principal forage species 
have matured seed by September 1. Grazing, then, should be de- 
ferred on certain successive parts until some time after this date. 
To apply successfully the deferred and rotation system of grazing 
three points must be observed. First, the grazing must be distributed 
so as to avoid concentration to the point of overstocking. To do 
this with herds of about 1,200 grown goats will require the use of 
about 20 bed grounds on the summer-and-fall ranges. Second, the 
goats must be grazed quietly on range adjacent to each of the bed 
grounds, and different parts of the range must be grazed at different 
times of the period. This can easily be done by using 20 bed grounds. 
To use all the summer-and-fall range throughout the entire grazing 
period should not be attempted. Third, instead of using the bed 
grounds in the same order year after year, rotation in time of use by 
groups of four bed grounds each must be practiced. 
This plan would make possible the division of the summer-and- 
fall range into five parts of equal carrying capacity, each part suit- 
able for a month’s use. Two parts, each containing four bed grounds, 
could then be protected from grazing until after September 1 each 
year. Each part grazed in any month for any given year should be 
grazed a month earlier in the succeeding year, except the part grazed 
first which would then be grazed last. For example, if the parts are 
designated by A, B, C, D, and E, in any year A, B, and C may be 
erazed during June, July, and August, respectively, leaving D and 
E to be grazed in September and October after seed maturity; then 
in the sueceeding year B, C, and D would be grazed in June, July, 
and August, respectively, leaving E and A to be grazed in September 
and October, and so on. This would allow the forage around the 
four bed grounds grazed last each year a second year of protection 
until after seed maturity, and would give the seedlings from the 
first year’s crop of seed a good chance to become established. Such 
a grazing system results in a five-year rotation with each fifth of the 
1This system is described in detail by Arthur W. Sampson, ‘‘ Natural Revegetation of 
Range Lands Based upon Growth Requirements and Life History of the Vegetation,” 
Journal of Agricultural Research, U. S. Dept. Agri., Vol. III, No. 2 (Nov. 16, 1914), and 
by James IT. Jardine, “‘ Improvement and Management of Native Pastures in the West,” 
U. S. Dept. Agri., Yearbook 1915, pp. 299-310. 
