RANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 17 
but the precipitation occurred in a few torrential rains during the 
latter part of July and early August, so that the moisture largely 
ran off and did not penetrate the soil to any great extent. Although 
vegetative growth started as a result of this precipitation, no more 
rains followed later in August or September, and a condition of 
drought actually existed until October over a large part of the re- 
serve, as far as growing conditions were concerned. 
TABLE 4.—Monthly and annual precipitation for headquarters ranch station, 
Jornada Range Reserve, with departure from annual and seasonal (July, 
August, and September) average at State College, N. Mex, 
[Bold-face figures indicate amount below average. T=trace.] 
Year. | January. |February.| March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | August. 
| Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches Inches. 
a) ey EOE ae ee ee a | 2) 2 2) | 2) : 2.98 | 2.99 0. 49 
bE Lie Bes a eee hee 0. 49 1.12 0. 95 0.09 (2) ay | 1.40 1.91 
aR De enon Glee en ea 25 47 sy .05 1.45 00 | . 90 . 96 
AO Wises ea Be a8 -47 T Ab 02 39 | 05 | EGY 1.52 
NOISRese le se eee | . 78 . 09 ATs “ky -05 09 | 5S 2.88 
OPO Se ane Recht 00 . 00 1.50 | 83 . 28 11 3.13 2.52 
| | 
| Depar- 
s | < 5 Total cents Total | ture from 
eptem- | Novem- ecem- | annual z seasonal | seasonal 
Year. ber. | October. | ber. ber. precipi- ee Sita precipi- | average 
| | tation. College tation. | at State. 
| | College. 
Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. 
QUA Nee ee si Sa 0.61 0. 44 0. 40 SSAQN cis eh ie a ta a 4.09 —0. 66 
LOUD eee oe eee 1.55 00 | -00 (2) Rosny | ERE GES Secs 4. 86 + .11 
NQIG eae tees 72 2.63 | -A7 19 8.88 +0. 30 2.58 —2.17 
AOU ene oe oars B25 pet .16 00 3. 54 —5.05 2.34 —2.41 
GUS Fe ey eye ae 00 - 96 UGA 67 8. 76 + 22 4.41 — .34 
TASHA es Seca fh ea as Sees 2. 55 . 64 a2 50 12.78 +4. 20 8.20 +3. 45 
1 Data at Jornada Range Reserve station are compared with average at State College, since sufficient 
years’ data are not available at Jornada Range Reserve for obtaining a reliable average over a period of 
years. The State College station is only 17 miles south of the reserve station, and about 300 feet lower in 
elevation, so that conditions are considered sufficiently similar to use the State College figures for com- 
parison. 
2 Data lacking. 
Average annual precipitation at State College, N. Mex. (59 years records)=8.58 inches; average seasonal 
precipitation at State College, N. Mex. (59 years, records)=4.75 inches. 
The conditions as shown by the rainfall data at the one station on 
the reserve are fairly representative for the reserve as a whole. 
Some parts, however, received more rainfall during the growing 
season and others received less. 
Uneven rainfall—Within the territory represented by any of the 
stations for which precipitation records are given there may be great 
variation in the amount of precipitation on different portions of a 
single large range unit, or on different range units In any year or 
during the period of a drought. This variation results in a minor 
factor of uncertainty in anticipating what forage production may 
be expected on any given area, and necessitates a flexible general 
74514°—22—Bull. 1031——2 
