32 Bulletin 827, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
The improvement of the native pastures is the most important 
problem of beef -cattle production in the Piney Woods. Although- 
there is an abundance of grass on the range it furnishes good graz- 
ing for a short period only and the native grasses must be replaced 
to a considerable extent by more desirable plants before the pastures 
will have a high carrying capacity. A system of management must 
be devised to bring about the gradual replacement of the native 
grasses by facilitating the spread and natural reseeding of more de- 
sirable forage plants. 
Two very important forage plants, carpet grass and lespedeza, 
have established themselves in practically every county of the Piney 
Woods: and. while it is not advisable to discontinue the trial of other 
pasture plants, every effort should be made to protect and facilitate 
the spread of these two. At present there are no other plants known 
which are so desirable and so well adapted to this region. The worst 
enemy to the spread of carpet grass and lespedeza is fire. With 
fencing, fire protection, removal of undesirable underbrush, and 
proper stocking the natural spread of these two plants is rapid. 
Every practical effort should also be made to protect the growth of 
young pine on land not suited to cultivation. 
Fencing and fire control are the first two steps toward pasture 
development. A fence establishes ownership and property line-. 
keeps out scrub bull- and other cattle, aids in establishing fire con- 
trols, and confines cattle to a definite area. The ranges deteriorate 
rather than improve so long as fire runs over them annually. The 
advantage of fire protection from the standpoint of increasing the 
fertility of the soil and protecting desirable pasture plants is be- 
yond question and has been repeatedly demonstrated by individual 
owners. 
For the individual owner to prevent fires on his pasture when the 
surrounding range is fired is a difficult matter, but it can be accom- 
plished by constant watch, burning around the pasture, or plowing 
a strip wide enough to stop fire. Prevention of fires is the most 
logical method, but it can not be done until cattle owners and land 
owners realize the destruction done. Accidental fires may be pre- 
vented by precaution, but so long as the belief prevails that the 
grazing of cattle is improved by annual burning of the range, set 
fires will run over the range each year. Concerted action should 
be taken by cattlemen and the owners of range land to start an 
educational campaign against fires and procure suitable legislation 
for their prevention. 
If the land is to be used exclusively and permanently as pasture, 
second-growth oaks should be kept down, because they will shade 
pasture plants and occupy considerable space. Underbrush may be 
