RANGE AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT DURING DROUGHT. 31 
is necessary for the grama grass to recuperate in strength sufficiently 
to set about any material increase in density on ranges that have 
been maintained as high as available moisture would support dur- 
ing drought. 
OVERSTOCKING. 
That depreciation of the range will result from overstocking under 
any system of use is obvious, and too much emphasis can not be 
given to necessity for care, first in adjusting grazing use so as to 
give the main forage plants as much chance to grow as possible. 
consistent with good management of the stock, and then to avoid 
putting more stock on any area than it will carry under the plan 
of use decided upon. 
The occurrence on the outside range (Table 9 and fig. 7) illus- 
trates what may happen to a grama-grass range where care is not 
exercised. The only system of use possible on this area up to 1918 
was yearlong grazing. No real effort was made properly to limit 
the number of stock to what the range would carry, and as a con- 
sequence, the range was only 45 per cent of what it should have been 
in 1915. Asa result of the continued overgrazing it had depreciated 
to 17 per cent of what it should have been in 1918, near the end of 
the drought. As a direct consequence losses of live stock were ex- 
cessive and the calf crop was greatly reduced. Furthermore, many 
of the more valuable forage plants were replaced by less valuable 
or worthless ones. 
The condition of pasture 5 of the Jornada Range Reserve in 1915 
showed also the results of overgrazing. Grazing for the year ended 
June 30, 1916, was considered 25 per cent too heavy, and indications 
were that the area had been overstocked previous to June, 1915. As 
a consequence the range in this pasture in 1915 was 41 per cent 
poorer in density of stand than that of pasture 2 adjoining, where 
both seasonal and annual grazing were more nearly correct. 
Depreciation in pasture 2 of the reserve during the period 1917 
to 1919, as shown in figure 7, is greater than is warranted even in 
time of drought. This depreciation most probably could have been 
reduced by lighter stocking during the main growing season with- 
out materially lowering the average for the year. Since this was 
difficult to arrange because of shortage of forage elsewhere, the aver- 
age for the year should have been lower, or at least provision should 
have been made for the necessary reduction in stocking during 
another drought. 
Indications of overgrazing—Without careful records of grazing 
and range conditions covering a long period of years it is difficult to 
decide exactly the maximum stocking which will probably be possi- 
ble without range depreciation. The result is likely to be slight 
