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U. S. DEPART:.IEi\!T OF AGRICULTURE.
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY-BULLETIN No. 4.
B. T. GALLO\Y.-\Y, Chlei oi Bure;>,n.
(l:OOPERATIYE EXPERI)[EXTS ,YITH THE .\RIZOX.\
EXPERIMET ST.-\.TIOX,)
.8).'
D_.\. VID G RlFFITHS . •
EXPERT, IN CHARGE OF FIELD MANAGEMENT,
GRASS AND F0RAGE PLANT INVESTIGATIONS.
v\" • .\.SHINGTON:
GOVERMENT PRI:-.TI:-.G OFFICE.
1901.
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LETTER OF TR. ..\\S1ITI..\ L.
1,-. S. DEPA.RT.lIET OF -GfilCl:LTl'RE,
BGREA"C OF PL.\.'\1' lD'CSTRY,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF,
Tfc1.shingt011, D. G., Septe1nuer 6, 1901.
SIR: I 11a ,·e the h011or to trans1nit herewith the 1nanuseri11t of a
paper on "Range Iruprovement 111 A1'iZ-ona, ·, bJ· Dr. David Grifiths,
expert. i11 charge of field 1nanagen1ent iii the Ofice af tl1e Agroi;tologist,
and respectftul· 1·ecom.mend its publication as Bulletin No. J. of
this Bureau.
.
Respeetfully.
Hon. J A:\lES ,\-ILSOX,
.'£ec·etary o;· {g,·iculture.
B. T. G. .\ LLo,,·_.\'l,- C71ief.
3
PREFACE.
This paper of u·r. Grifiths is the nrst report on experin1ents with
gra:;ses and forage plants concll1cted by tl1e Depart,nent of Ag1·ic11lt11re
tl1rough this ofice in co0peratio1i ""itl1 the Agricultural Expe1·i1ne11t
Station of Arizona, located at Tucson.. 'l'he report contains an 0utline
of the expe1'Ul1ents 11Jldertake11 011 tl1e tract of public la,nd set aside
by t11e Pre,si<lent of the United States for the 11se of the Secret!}ry of
Agriculture in tltis ,vork. 1'he ex·istil1g conditions and the pxese11t
chatacter of the forl;lge supply on tbe ranges is ful1y described. Tl1e
tU'gent i-1.ee<l& of the stockn1e11. for better range conditions a-re clearly
set fortl1. 1'he pul:>lication o f this 1•epo1·t now ,,ill be n1ost tin1ely, as
it brings before t,lte p11blic 'l nestions of the greatest importance to one
of tl1e 1argest interests of this c. ountr:r-the Taisi11g Qf liv. e stoclc.
While th.ere are n1a11y forage })1·0ble111s 0-f great impQrtance ,vhich a,re
no,, b,ei11g ,vorked o,1t through this. Ofice, there i.s none, ,ve believe,
of greater importance or n1ore g:eneri\J interest than that of range
i1npro,·e1nent. The f1·ee-range systen1 has led to the r 11thless destrnct-
io11 of the nati,·e grasses ,.-hicl1 bnce co,ered the n1agnifice11t pastt1re
lands of th.e \\7 est, and tJ.1e ti1ne J1as 110,,· con:i.e when acti,-e measures
must be aclopted to remedy the e,•ils tl1a,t J1ave resulted from overstocki1)
g and 1uis1nanagen1ent. It is e,iclent t11at laws fo1' the proper control
ancl p1'eserva,tio11 of tl1e l'anges are not onlyessent'ial to tl1e stock interests,
b11t also t@ the general ,,-el fare of tl1e co11ntry. The matter is of as
much importance to the irrigation'far1ner as to the cattle man, for the
gullying of 1:iver channels during Tecent years, and the cutting of deep
gorges in e,·er:r slight depression, destroying tl1e tillable lands, a.re
directly tr-acea.ble t-0 the influence 0f close gra,zing.
Prof. R. H. Forbes, director of the Arizona- Agricultural Experiment
Station, i u an exceedini:rly ,-a.luable and interesting paper on the
subjt:ct of "'fhe open range and the irriga,tion fa,rmeT," read at the
meeLing of t11e A1nerica Association for the Advancement of Science
held in Denver the present season, and ,vhich was published in The
Forester, 1nade the follo,Ying n10st &uggestive notes in relation to
ra.nge improvemeut, which we venture to q ttote here:
The objects of range study are, in the first place, to demonstrate economic
methods for tlie improyement and reclamation of the great areas of devastated,
worn-out grazjng lands of the semiarid regions, and. finally, to suggest such
ad1ninistr-ation of the country thus reclaimed, o r the yearly decreasing areas of
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6 PREFA0E.
yet uuruined 1·anges, that the interest,s of all concerned-the stockman, tbe irsrigation
fa.rm:er, and the p-6.ssible investor in the storge p1·op,ositions of t.be futurem-a.
y be brought -into ha.rmony with each other a s well as be individually bettered.
-;,:- · >: · * *
In vie, of the dificulties a.nd fajlure which have been encpuntered in this direction
(range improvement) and in '1-iew of the ;iuccessful operations o.f the forestrese1
·,·e system., it seems to me that we can tur·n with some hope o f success to the
idea of range reserv;i,tion in Arizona and Ne\· Mexico. The G.(•vernment is ther!'l
. yet in control o f great unbroken tracts of its public lands, and those Territories
afor'd a most favo.rable 6ppbrt111ity for the, institution of the. experiment on a
large and eonvi.ncing scale.
*
The ear1·ying out of such a plan by impartial and authoritative means, ineluding
provisions for a proper ec@nomic and sc;ientific study pf the proble1ns inv0.lved,
ot,gbt i n time to vastl.y improve the range for the benefit of the steckmau, ·a.nd
also, to render th operatiqlts of the irrfgation· farmer and 'of the· storager- eserv.oir
promo.tr mu:c, h ,1J1ore cert-ain of retur11s.
0FF:tCE OF THE AGROSTOI,OGIST,
F' I.1AillSONB- CRlB',1-ER,
Agra.stolqgist.
Washd:ngto1i, D. 0., SeJJternuer 6, 1001.
•
COTEl'S.
Introduction
Former conditiolls ....... .
Oircular lefter and questions ..
.A nswei·s to questions ............ .
Feed on the r:;inge ................... ... .
The plantains.····-- ............... .
Sa.lrbushes and their allies
Xative legumes_ ........ ······-
The t actacere ......... .
The Tses .......... _ . .
The range reserve tra.:ct ...
AreaC ..... ········---·······
E .................... .
F
A
B
--- - ----- - - . - - -. - . -. - -- .
- --· -- -- ·-----
D --- . - --- - . - -- - - - - - --- . - . . - . . . - - -- . . . . - . --
Precipitation reeor<ls ... ..... .
Summary and suggtstions .... . ---- - . --------- - - . . .-- - - --- .- . - - . - - .-- ... -
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I L I U S '1' R A ·r I O N S .
Page.
PL..:\ TE I. Fig. 1. Railroad right of \Vay near Benson, Ariz., showig the
conditidn of the range under proteciton.. . .... ··". . . ,. . . .. . .. • 10
Fig. i. V\7right's Saccaton (81101,obolils 1b1·ight-ii) .•.......• , •..••
II. Fig. 1. A cattle range in the Santa Catalina, lvlountains, April,
1901 .. . • • .. .. . . . •. . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . .. . .. .. . . .. .. . . .. . .. .. . . . 12
Fig. 2: A foothi•ll range·near Tucson, 1\.riz., April, l,901 ........ .
III. Fi. 1. Tufted plantain (Plantago fastigiatti) on the left, bfue
gram a (B o-1del.oua oliyqstachy1,,1) on the right........... . .. . . 14
Fig. 2. Alfilaria ( Erodiuni cicutariu1n) grO'l\'n on university
caiμpns at Tucson, A1;iz., April, 1901 ................•........
IV. Fig . 1. Shad scale (.At1•ipleq; cane:scen.s) in fenced field "Q.ear Tuc-son,
Ariz .. . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . . . .. . . . .. .. .. . . . . •. .. . .. . .. . . 16
Fig. 2 ..Q .att}e fed on tufted plantain (Plantq!fd fast·igiatci) and
ailfilaria (EJ1·ocli1,ni cieutcirii,in) on way to 1narket .. iviay. 1901.
V. Fig. 1. Operations in i:a:nge iJnpr.oveu1en't near Tucson, Ariz,.,
January, 1901.... ...... ... ... ............ ...... ... . .......... 20
.Fig. 2. ·Range reserve tract near Tucson, .riz., showing a typ-
\cal creo.,ote-bush (Lcirl'ea 11umieana) l0;cality ............... .
VI. Fig. 1. Cact1s ( Opitntici ai·buscuia} fl'om range reserve tract-
near Tucson, Ariz. .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. . . . . .. . .. . • .. .. . .. . . . .. .. •. 20
Fig.2. Qactius (01Juntiafulgi,da,) ..•.•.....•..• · "'··· •....•.•.••.
TEXT FIGtlltE;>.
FIG. 1. Diag.ram of fenced portion of range veserve tract.. . .. . . . .. . . . .. .. . . 2:2
2. Diagram of Area C ............... __ ..... .. ........ .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8. Diagraiμ Qf Area E.. .. . . . . .. .. • . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . .26
4. .Diagra1n of A,rea. F . . .. . . . . .. . .. . . . . . .. . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . •. .. . .• . •. .. Zi
5. 'Diagram of Area A... . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . . .. . ... .. . . . . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .. 28
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B . P . I.-6. Agros.-l39.
l{ANGE IJ\IIPI{O\TE'IENT IX ARIZONA.
By Da vrD Gu.tFFJTE!S,
Expert., i1i charge of F'ielcl Mcinagement.
INTRODUGTION.
On a1l the \\" estern stock ranges ,,hicl1 tl1.e "'riter ha-s visited there
haYe exi,;tetl many small a,reas jn c11ltiYated fields, unused pastures,
fenced railroad rights of way, and si1nilar situatio11s ,vhich a.re in
their virgin state Ol' ha.-e so .far reco,·e1,;ed fl'OLU OYerstocking R.s to
bear testimony to the original produetivit:y of the soil. Things a.re
far different in large areas of southern Ari;,;ona.. Jlere 11nused pastures
a.re ,·ery rare, cnlt-ivated. fields are fe,ver in nu1nl>er, and the
destrL1ction is so complete that in manJ' localities even the railroad
right of "·ay h.as reco,·ered but little in t,hree or four years' tin1e. On
the rive-1· bottoms a fe,Y indications of lnx.Ltriant gro,Yths of grass ar: e
found, b11t in nearly e. :ve1·y case) even in such favored localities, there
is little aside fro1n this e , -idence, the actual 01•iginal conditions l)eiug
very 1n,1ch n1.oclifie(l. Xt ,vo11ld be but. fair to state, 110,ve, rer, that, tl1e
season il1 ,vbich the region ,vas nrst visited ,,.-as a.n 1111fav0rable one,
being flt 1he elose of an exceedingly· long dry period, ,vhe11 even eviclence
of for:ige ,vas sca.nty.
l\Iany ranel1ers, far1ne1·s, and. prospectors "'110 have li-vecl in the
country a 10·11g t.il11e l1a,r-e given 1nl1el1 i11formatio.11 relati v to former
c:<>nditions, s0-1ne certa.inlf reliable and 1,01ne doubt<less e-xtra,'agant,
as is apt to be the ease i11 s11clt 111atters. From tl1e e'\ridence gi'ren by
every old settlel' 11.0 conclusion co-old be. reached other than that of
nrisuse of t:ho l"}111ge c0nntry a11<i thi=l t the deRtructio11 ,vas-gi·eater than
in the n101"e faY01,ed r?"l.nges of the N 01·th,vest. IIo,y the de:;truction
of tl1e ra11ge could be SQ nearlJ' co)1iplete-is somewhat beyoJ1d the couceptiou:
of those 11bt fa1niliar ,tith the characte1· of the pL·ecipit?\tion,
configtl1·1,tjon of the land, COJ11posi.tio:u of the .soils, and th:e habits of
the forage plants of tlte tegion. "\Vith tlre ecepti0n of th.e anut1als
the g)·',asses are nearly a.11 kno: ,vu as '' bunch grasses," ,1. designation
which indicittes tl1at they al'e 11ot turf formers. E,0en the blue grama
(Boutelou,1;i oligostachya), ,v}1ich fo1·1ns s11ch handson1e a-nd persistent
sod over vast areas on the tanges of the North,vest, gro,ys hei·e in
b11ncbe.s. This pl'evailing cl1aracteristic, together ,vith the susceptibility
of the surfa.ct> soil to injury bJr tl1fl tra1npling of cattle, probably
aceonuts in a large ineasure for the exte11t of the denudation of the
1:ange. Dnring a season of rain the surface of the gt·ouncl is badly
cut by the cattle that t1·a1np over it. .Aftel' the February rain.s the
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10 RANGE I:i\IP-:RbVEi\f:E.NT IN ARIZONA.
depth Qf footpri11ts in !'l,n average u1eJSa, J·egio11 is 0ne-.h alf a,11 inch t-0
4 incl1es, tJ1e Q.ee:p.er ones bein.g in tl1e lo·we.r mpister regions, wh9h.
are best, :;,ujted to the gtov,'1,h of vegettttiot1.. It, ,vill be l'ead{I;y seen
tha,t a l1erd of cattle do im.me11se i11jury to the s11rfa.ce of the groμnd
b.y travelin:g ove:r it d11riμg /- sea.:;,on of Ta-in. Regio·ns ,vhich have
survived close past11rage are very liable to be destro:rd or greatly
inj11red i11 this ,vay. Duri11g the dry seasons th'.e. injury fru1n tr.ampling
is n.early if n:ot quite.as great. }laving no turf of lea,ves anct no
protection of slta.llow ro©ts, the sur:fa.ce soil is easil,y ·cut and tedt1ced
to dust by anirn:als moving aver it i11 searel1 of food and' ,vaeti.:
FORMER CONDl;TIO;N'S.
As a1t a.ccurate knowledge of the conditi@ns whil1 011c prevailed
th1·onghot1t tl:1ese valleys a.nrl foo.th1lls ,,as very es.senti'al to a p1·oper
an'd intelligent inaug.uration of range-impro-vementexpeximents, it was
tl1ought tha;t the best pla11 -.,•ould be an efort to .1·e,.,tore the condition
,vhi-t1l1 once pl'evail-ed, for any ·extet1ded atte"rn'Pts a,t, 11ltunal op.era.tions
appared entitely use.less. It was th.011ght that the greatest ben'e:fit to
the ran· ge would be derived fron1 rest, acco1npai: 1iecl by reseedi11g ,vith
native foragepla.nts. Acct1rate k11owleclge of previous conditions was
t,herefore very ess.ential. In order to obt.ain this inforn1atio;n a cjrc11-
lar letter, acc.q1npanjed by a series Qf q11estions, ,vaS. ·prepared l)y the
writer, ,vho ,v1i.,s at that time botanist of th.e 1:\.rizona EX':pel'ime11t Station,
an.d di&tribnted to a . selected list· of corresponden,ts. Tl1e ltter
ancl questions, reproduced belo,v, are self z.plar1a,t-0ry and i;ud.iea;te
clearly the pnrpose' s of rthe .. inqniry. 1'he answers Tet; utned a,gree
almost perfectly and point to bt1t one co1iclusio.n, na1nely, that ·the
p·ublie ranges of tl1e region \vei'e a,t ('.)}1e, tin1.e cbmf)arativel:t prod:ttctive
and that their present condition l1as been brougli't about" by
overstocking.
ClRC'ULAR LETTER AND QUESTIONS.
' MY D·EAR SIR: The Arizona Experiment Station, in cooperation with the United
States Dpartment tif Agriculture, is ,1ildertaking some .Nperiments with i,:view
of ascertaining the best methods of improving the native ran-ges of Arizona.
Already the Departm·ent of the Interior, at the request of the Hori. James Wilson,
Secretary o.f Agticulture, has r,ese.rved from ent.ry for our use a tract of land
in the vicinity o'f Tucson., and a suitable port.ion of thi's has, been fenced. We ar-e,
therefore, practically Fea.dy to begin qperations along lines suggested by the best
experience of. the oficers of this, &tation, !,lS ,vell as of the field agents and· oficers
of the D.ivision of Agrostology, United States Department of Agriculture. It is
hQ,ped and expected that this work will result in profit to the ranc.hers and 'i,toilkmen
of the Tertito1·y, and what results i n profit to them results in :profit to every
c-itizen.
In order to undertke this work intelltgen,tly it is ecessa1·y to ascertain as
accurately as p'ofsible the origina.J. Gonditiou of tb:e range prior to its depletion Y
ove1:stocking and ,prior to -the excessive dr?ughtl! of -a ·few year,s ago,. for it is l>.y
rei,tori11g the 1,ange oo its original condition that we may hope to receive beueflt
PLATE I.
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F1G. 1.-RAILROAD RIGHT OFW AY NEAR BENSON, ARfZ., SHOWl'lG Tl-IE CONDITION OF
THE RANGE UNDER PROTECTION.
FIG. 2.-WRtGHT'S 8ACCATON lSPOROBOcLUS WRIGHTU
ASWERS TO QDESTIOS. 11
and attain success in our range-improvement investigations. This information
can only be furnished by relia.bie and experienced men who are cenversant with
tbe condition of the grazing lands of the Territory at the time \"hen they ielded
profit to tbe ranche1·.
You have been recommended t-o us as a person who, on account of your wide
experience and abundant 01>portunit,r of ooservaton. will be a-ble to gi,e us the
information desired. i'Ve hope that you ,vill be willing to assist us in this matter,
in which we are all so deeply interested. by an;,wering as many of the inclosed
questions as yon can at your earliest possible con\"nience. sending you:r answers
to us in the inclosed addressed free en,e1ope.
,err tru.lr yours. DA ,U> G-RrFFt-Ta.s,
S1>ecial .-!gent in Charge flj Oooperati,:e 1v·ork .
•
1. With what portions of tbe Territorr are you especially fitmiliar.,
2. How long have you been acquainted with the regions spoken of in question 1?
8. What was the 1-elative abundance of the feed on the native range at the time
you first became acquainted with ir,, compared with the preent time?
-!. Will you please compare the grazing conditions in two or more regions with
which you are familiar; !or instanee. the Santa Cru,, San Pedro. and Snlphur
Spring valleys?
5. Gan you describe any specific instances of the destructi,e action of wat-er in
gullying out the river valleye'.' Can you state how and at what t,in1e such gullying
started in any particular instance. and the extent to which the washing prog
rssed i n a gi,en ti-me?
6. 'hat influence has this gullying bad on tht1 productiveness of the ri,er bott.oms:
i. What grases or other r1ati,e forage plants furnish the gi;eatest am-ount of
feed at the p:reseut time in your ,icinity? ( lf you do not know the names of these
plants and are willing to send us samples, so state in answer to this question, and
we will send you franks so that you can forward the sarnr o us free of charge.)
8. Do you ath·ibnte the present unproductive condition of the range to overstocking,
drought. or t o beth combinecl: Please explain why.
9. Will you please sta the largest nu1nber of cattle which, in your opinion,
have at any time grazed on any particular range with which you a.re a:qnaint-ed,
.and at what time? What do you estimate is the nresei1t carrying capacity of the
sa,me range?
10. Provided we should be able to furnish seed. would you be willing t o put
it in the ground in proper ha.pe i n some favorable situation on your place \'Vbere
cattle will not graze it for at least one year after planting: - very small patch
would be reciuired, say ;j() ft s([nare. Such an experiment would enable us t o
dete:mine wh-at forage plants are best adapted t-o y-our iocality.
ANS WEltS TO QUESTIONS.
The ans,,ers retur11ed have been ve1·y .snggesti,·e and i.11dicat€ an
intellige.nt, acti,e interest in the qt1estions "·hic11 are of s11ch ,ital
in1p0rta11ee to the st-0ck gro-"ers located on the pttblic tlomain. Two
of these, how-ever, a-ppea-r of such ge11eral ecelle11ce and i11dieate s11eh
a keen insight into the forage problenxs that tl1ey are rep1·odneed in
full. Col. l-I. C. Hooker, one of the earliest a11d n1ost successful stock
,
12 RANGE Il\!P'.)!t0,VE1\1ENT IN ARIZONA.
raisel's in the 'I'eTri1;ory, lu1de-r dae of Dce1nber 11, 1900, writes as
follows:
1. T.he southeastern.
2'. Thirty-five ')'ea-rs.
8. Full, double.
4. These regions hav been diminis.hed .in grazing facilities fully 5.0 per cent'in
twenty-five years.
5. The,Sau Pedro Valley in 18'10 had an aoundanl:le of wiHow, cottonwood,,,sycamor
, and mesquite timber, also large beds. of sa:cca.ton atid grama grasses., si,gebrush,
and underbrush of many kinds. Theriver bed "·as sha.ilow and grassy a;od
its·ban)l:s were beutiful with a luxuriant growth 6f vegettiQn. No,v the river
is deep and its banks_.are wa,shed out, the trees aq9 underbrush · are gone, the sac_
caton has been cut out by the plo,v and grub b:ie, tlie mesa .has been grazed by
thousands of horses aμd cattle, and the valley his bee. n fa,rmecl. Cattle .and h.orses
goi-ng to and from feed and ,vater have made 1nany trails or paths to the 1nountains.
Brows.a oh t)le hillsides las been eaten off. Fire has destrored mucih of
the shrubbei:y as wll as he grass, giving the. winds and rains full sweep to Garry
away the ea,r
th
.
loosened by the feet o"f the aninrals. ln th1s way many waterways
have been cttt rom the hills t o the xiver bed. There is n:ow little 01· nothing to.
-stop the great currents of water veaching the river bed with such force as to cut
·large channels and destroy 1n-1ch of the lnd under ¢ultivation, leaving· the river
from 10 to 40 feec belo,v its for1uer banks. Thus it has .cau1;1ed n1uch e.xpe1se jn
bringing the ,vater to the cultivatd lands, and necessitated much lab'Qr·to dam
up the chan.nel a:p.d kep the irrigating ditches i-n repair.
7. Gra1nas, saccatons, bunch, and six-weeks grasses.
8. Principaly to overstocking. In times ·of drought even ·the roots are eaten
and destroyec1 by cattle, while if not fed clo\v,n or eaten out the roots ,vould gro,,v
again ,vith ,viuter moisture.
9. Thei"e ,vere f\Jliy 50,000 heacl of !>tock. at the head of Sulphur .Spring V.alley
and the valley of the Ara:vipa in 1890. In 1900 there were not -m·ore than one-half
that numb'er !i,nd· they were doing poorly.
10.. I ,vill place l a· cre or more under fence on my la.nd in any situation yoμ
may select for your experiments, providing yeu will superintend the planting
an'd direct the, cultivation, -taking ftom my rancli such teams, far1ning tools,
employees,. etc., as you may require.
I am, respeatfully yotirs, H. C. Hoo1t°ER,
Pr0j?1·ito1· $i·ra Bonita R.anch.
1Yfr. C. H. Bayless,· of Ot·aele, Ariz., in ad-dition to ans,vering questions,
sub1nitted a, s'tatement cor1taining a . forcible. expression of the
fi1tility of a-ttempting to control the ra11ge without the help of the
Govern1nent or tl1e ranchers. It appears to the writ.er that the ra.nch-
,
eTs and those inteTestecl in stock gro,ving are bgining t,o ealize
1noxe and 1nore the iJnp@rtanee of p1aci11g the. 1·-ange. 1nanage1ne11t in
the hands of som. e on,e l1aving a)ilthority an, d an inter-est in its preservation.
Tl1e objection t o the contrpl of the T-ange is gradually ,:v,earing
a.,va,Jr. At least a, dozen ranc)lers have expressed themselves to
1ne vvithin the past year in fully as e1nphatic terms as JYir. Bayless
i1:t his letter quoted below; '\Vith refrence to range manag·ement l\fr.
. '
Bayless 1vrites as followsi
DEAR SIR: Within find answers to quest:ons sent· me. Permit me to add that
no practical plan can ,vel be advanced for increasing plant; growth on any ppen
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Sul. 4 Bu,oau o' Piao, ldnusuy, U, S. !)opt. qi Ag«!>Cltur,e• PLATE 11.
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t•
'. ' =,.
FIG, 1.-A CATTLE RANGE IN THE SANTA CATALINA MOUNTA!r-lS. APRIL, 1901.
. - . -
·-·
( ., ' "
.,._"YI
.. - ..
. .-
•
•
-
-·
- ·.
... .". -·-..
-
",
.. ..,. -
.
FIG. 2.-A FOOTHILL RANGE NEAR TUCSON, ARIZ., APRIL, 1901
. '-·
ANSVVERS TQ QUESTIONS. 13
range while fre,e f@l· the use 0f everybody. Hen9 l must respectfully urg-e upon
you the importance of impressing the Goverumeut oficials with the fact. that no
general improvement_ of r<tnge' country can be expected until the laud is pJac·ed
under individual control by lease or otherwise. In a few favored spots \vhei·e
such an arra.ngement is no\v s.ecured through local c.onditions .good results might
be accomplished, but the greate,· part of our range countrr is at present a desert
a,ucl will s-teadily become le.s-s and less p1·oductive, while the px-esent r.ange.management,
or rather lack of it, prevails.
Very re-spectfully yours, C. H. B.-1.YLESS.
1. 'l'he San Pedro Valley and southern patt of Pinal County.
2. Fifteen year;.
3. At that time ten animals were kept in good condition ,vhere one can now
barely xist. However, those ten a;nim.als ,vet·e then rapidly destroying the vegetation,
not ,making pro·per use of it.
5. About t,velve years ago the San Pedro Valley consisted of a narrow srip of
subh:rigated and very fertile lands. Beaver dam.s checked the fl.ow of water and
prevented the Gutting of a channel. Trappers exterminated the be"l.vers. and less
grass on the hillsides per1nitted greater erosion, so that within four or live years
a channel va1·ying in depth from :J t o 20 feet was cut almost the ,vhole length of
the river. Every year freshets are carrying away ne,v po1·tions of the bottom
lands. At pteseJlt this valley is a sltndy waste from bluf to bluf, ,vhile the few
fie:ds remaining are protected from the river at large and continuous expense.
Thus. i11 addition to Gurta- iling the area of good land, the deep chan11el has drained
the bottoms, leaving the native grass no chance to recover from the eft'ects of
close pa.,;turing. It also malres it m01·e dtffiGult to get irrigating watel' onto the
surface of the land.
7. Of the rich grama.grasses that originally covered the country s littl-e now
remains \hat no account can be taken of them. In some p;i,rts of tlie foothills
alfilaria furnishes limited but excellent pasture during the,spring and early summer.
Where stock ,vater is far .removed some remnants of perennial grasses can
be found. Grasses that grow only from seed sprouted by summer rains are of •
small 1,1,nd transfto,i:y value. The foliage of the mesquite'· and ctsc1aw bus.hes is
eaten by most ·anhnats, and even the various cacti are attempt-ed by sta:rving cattle.
However, the thorns and spines of the cacti more than of.set the value o,f the
pulp. No better pasture ,vas ever foulld in any country than that furnished b y
our native grama grasses, now almost extinct.
8. The present unproductive conditions are due entirely to ove.r.stocking. The
laws of nature have not changed. Under similar conditions vegetation would
flourish on 0ur t:anges to-day as it did fifteen years. ago. W e are still receiving·
our ave.rage amount of rairrfall and sunshine necessary to plant growth. Droughts
are not more frequent now than in the past, but 111other earth has been stripped
ot all grass coveiing. The very roots have beep. trampled out by the hungry herds
constantly wandering to and fro in search of enough food. The bare surfaGe of
the ground aford$ n.o re.$ist.an.ce to the rain that falls upon i t ancl the preci.ous
water rushes away in destructive volumes, bearing with it all the lighter and
richer p,articles of the soil. That the sand and rocks left behind al:e able to support
even the scantiest gro\vth of plant life is a rema1·kable tribute t0 our marvelous
cli.mate. Vegetation does not thrive as it once did., not becanse of drought,
but b:ecause the seed i s gone, tlie roos are gon,e, the sqil is gone. This is all the
direct xesult of overstoc-kiQg, and can not be prevented on our open range where
the la.na is not subject t o priva-te control.
9. Twelve years ago 40,00.0 cattle gre,v fat along a certi,in port.ion of the San
14 RAGE li\1PROV-Ei\:fENT IN ARIZONA.
Pedro Valley where no\v 3,000 can not find suficient forage for proper growth
and development. If instead of 40,000 head 10,000 had been kept on this range,
it would irt all probability be.furni:sliing good pasture fpr the same number to-day.
Very few of these cattle ,vere sold or reir1oved from the range. They were simply
left there until the pasture was destroyed and the s.tock then perished by
starvation.
10. Ye.s., I will. do so gladly. Object lessons o f this kind will prove conclusively
that overstocking. not drought, has mad our country a desert.
C. H. BAY-LESS, Oracle, Airiz.
FEED ON THE RANGE.
Wl1ile each -.,,alley i.u the 1erritory b:as some cha,racf;eristics disti1,1ctly
its-own, and ,vhile there is a grea.t diference in: the extent to
1vhich overpasturirig has been carried on, there is still a ceTtain similarity
,vhich is cl1arActerist-ic of the entire southern portion, namely,
the p·repondera,nce during ce1taiμ seasons of th1J year of ",eed:y plants
that "'ould not ordinarily be considered fit food for C})ttle. D1,1ring
the year five typical -.;alleys l1a,, been visited, nam. ely, the Giia,
Salt RiYer, Sa,nta Crnz, Sa11 PB.c1To, arid ·Snlph.uT Spring. 'l'l1e opportunities
f.or observation in the first t"(0 n·amed ,vere very meager, bu·t
still suficient to l)ea:r out the te&tiU1.ony CJf several ranchers, that the.
only pasturage of an·y acco1-111t in tl1ese t"'O ,valleys during a latg.e
portion of the :fear Gonsists of "bro,vse. '' The main s.tock food on
.the open tange appears to be de.rived fr.om t.he mesquit and sage
btusl1es (AtriJ,lex sp1).). The,c;e a.re supplemf!"nted iu the winter and
spring b;r ,veedy gro1vths, and in .th·e fall by -annual gra.<;ses oi tr·ansitory
,•alue. In the Sant.a; Cruz Valley conditions are much the sam
on the open range, b11t i11 the Su1ph:ur Spring Valley, which has a
g.reate1· altitnde, as ,vell as a. 1nore copious pre.cipitation, the peren·μ.
ia.l grasses §till thri,,e. In some portions of this valley the nat11l'.al
conditions are s11cl1 t,hat the ranchers are able to control the range in
such a manner as to p.i:oteet it. No finer obj. .ect lesson could be
desired tban tl1e one f1rnjshed on the Sierra Bonita ranc.h, o.,vned bJ'
0@1. II. C. Hook:er. This is located at-tl1e l1ead of the valleJr, and the.
range is so situitted between the Gritha1n Iountain:s on the east and
the Galiuro l\<Iountains on the ,vest that the entrance of cattle· from
neighboring ranches is easily prevented. Under such ci:}nd"itions,
accompanied by good inan-age1uent,, the range has been kept in a very
good condition, compared ,vith all the 61,her I).Ortions of the regio11
"'hic4 the ,vriter l1as visited. On this range large quantities of native
grass are cut for ha,y. In one stack tlie following ,vere re-cognized·:
Everlasting grass (Eriochloa 1Junctata), E. a1·istata, OhlQ'r-is elegain.s,
Erct{trostis neoniexicanx:i, vi1:ie 1nesq11itf\ (Fciniciim obti1tsurm), Aris.tiila
spp. (in small q nantities), Arizona millet ( Ohaetochloa co1nposita),
blue gra1na (Bouteloiia oligpstacliya), low grama (B. polysfuchya),
and .A1idropoaor1, t.or1·eyan,iis. 'l'hese, together ,vith t,vo oi- thTee
species. of Sporobolus (saccatoii grasses) and the cultivated Johnson
8:.1I 4 Sura,J o-f Pta,a inOu$t;ty U. S . O'l;p:.. oi' g.ucun,:.c- PLATE I II.
.
I " //
:> y / \ I ' >
,
''\
1
- -
, "
-./ I .-t
, I•( I
.
FIG. l .T- UFTEO PLA,'-TAtN PLANTAGO FASTIGJATA> ON THE LEFT; BLUE GRAMA
1 B0lfT'ELOUA OUOQSSTACHYA ON THE fllGHT.
Both Iigure; irom pl!turs growh, u.iar ''lu<-son. .\ riz.
FIG. 2.-ALFILARIA I EROOIUM ClCUTARIUM 1, GROWN ON THE UNIVERSITY (1,AMPUS AT
TUCSON, ARlsZ.
l<'EED ON THE RANGE. 15
grass, form the maju hay grsses on the range. In some l0calities the
galleta grasses (Hilar·ia 1nuticai and Hilaria .ianiesii) furnish large
quantities of coarse ha)·, which, as one liveryman exprt;issed it, is used
to ''chink" in ,,ith. 'fbe condition of the 'tegetation ju the San Pedro
,alle·r, while much superior to that of the Santa Cruz, is much inferior
to the Sulphtu· S.pring.
Til:E PLANTAIXS.
These plants, of ,,hich the India11 "·heat (Pla1itagq fa,stigiata Morris)
i.s the most hnportant and ,vhich formed the grea.ter part of the
feed on the range in the vicinity of 'f11cson in the sprin.g 0f 1901, are
popula.i-lr known ·as Indian ,vheat and a.Te ve1·y abundant after ,vi.nter
rains all through so11thern Arizona, especially in the lower altitudes.
The.)' are a.lso found comm0nly a.t considerable elevations in the
m011ntai11s, but are not suficie11tly ab11uoant theTe to be of a.ny
econ0mio importance. On tl1e lo,ver 1noiste1' areas of tl1e gene.i-al
mesa region, howe,er, the. crop is often quite large. The fenced portion
of 011.r range reserve a.fotded an ex.celle.J1t opportunity for studying
these pla1ts during the past season. I t is usually impossible to
appreeiate theil' entire forage valne npon the open range oh account
of the present sltort pastuTage. Du.ring the past season there ,va.s
co11&idera.ble diference in the quantity of these plants found inside
and outside of our fenced area, ult-hough the fed is reported to have
bee11 more a,bundant than usual and the stock on the ranie to have
bee11 m11ch reduced in recent ,years .
At the suggestion of Dire.ctor R. }I. Forbes an attenipt;,yas made to
ascertain the precise a1no11nt of fee.d "'hicl1 these pla,nts furnished on
our range reserYe tract during the past season. The estimate is
believed to be approxi1nately accurate and to give a very fair idea of
the amount which gro,Ys in similar localities in rather favorable
years. The esti1nate ,,as made from actual meas11rements of representati,-
eareas select(ld by my:self after a aa,reful survey of the entire
fenced area. A clie 15 feet long by 3 feet wide was prepared as accurately
as possible. All plantai11s covered by this were pulled itp.
After having the ro0ts•c, ut of tb.e)r were placed in a bag and dried in
tbe s.un. Eighteen such areas \vere meai;rured and treated in the same
way. The weight of this material colli,\c.ted on the 26th and 21th of
.ufarch became constant earl); in Iay, indicating that i t -as thoroughly
dried. The final ,,,eights ,vere the11 tak,eu. The data gi,en
below indicate not onlJr the amount of· forage, but also the character
and diversit)· of p1:odi1ct of the i'eRerve tract. The figures on the
plat (.p. 22) corresp@nding with the samples in the tabulation given
'below, indic;1,te the localities where measurements were made. From
these an idea of the relative productivity of the diferent siti1ations
can be readily o'btained. It \\':ill be seen that the sn1allest growth
'
16 RANGE IMPROVEMENT LN ARIZQN.A..
occurred in tae higher areas, occupied principally by the creosote bush
(Larrea ?nexica1ia").
Weight
Nu111'6er of plat. moaft der--rita l Nuri1br 0f plat. pe1· aeve,.
1?01t1tds.
L ................ 1,184 -
'··--······---·-··
• 2 ............ --- - 16 s .................
3 ............. --- - 1,160 9 .................
4 .•• - .•• -•.•• -.•. - 1,139 10 .......... ________
5 _____ ---- .•..••• ..,.. - { 11 ...... ------ ; ....
6 ................. J,079 }2 ...•.••• . ······-
W?fe jd-rbyt pmiawt acerii·ael,
Po-uncls.
3;2
76
1,286
1,036
56
3 'OS . 1
Numb.r of :Plat.
1wembt 9f ry
'pmeart a>Ecrri\iel,
P&r,.n(I/J.
13 ................. 12
1.4 ...... ·------···· ·3S6
l;i ................. 2,66
,.16 ................. li>J
1-' -- - ... -... - . . . . - . l . .")94
lfL .. . -... -. - .. - - - 300
By comparison ,vitl1. the .diR,gra1i1 oE. page 22, i t ,vill be seeJ1 that
the smtller ,veig. ht,s irt the ta.ble irt(lica-te a.reas ,vhe. re th c. rosote b11sl1
predominates. TJ1ese ave1·age tl1e s-1ua.llest in quanti:ty, varying fr.om
16 to 2,466 pouutls pet acre. A1i average of the$e pla,ts gives a yield
of 992 ponnds or pl'ac'tiea:lly one-half ton lJer a:cre, 01' 16€1½ tons for the
e11ti1'e 336 acres 1rnder fenc. 'flte vall1e of this 1nateria.l fol' stock
foocl 1nust be doter,nined by actu.al feedi11g tests and che'Jnical analysis,
This the Station is no"' planning to deter1nine. It may b e said1 l1@wever,
that Indian "'heat forn1s a large part of tJle feed o.n the raa1ge,
during late ,,inter and spri·11g, and tht cattle pastured 011- i and
alfila,ria, ,vhil not. in as good con.ditio-rt a,s those fatten.eel pn tlre
ranges of tke Notthwest, ,vere stiLl in fair condition for the market.
These plantains appear especially ,vell s11.ited t"o gro\v @J1 the sandy
de. sett 1nesa, ,vh,ere wincls and destrt 1Qti'i. e floods are liablB to ca:rry
awaJ' the seed. ThP. metho.d .of seed. distr.ibutioh is inded unique
ai:id Oiie of the most interesting the ,vriter ha,s evet seen. As far as
ol1served thre app·ears .to be no special 1nethod for scattering th.e
seeds,. but whe1t the eapsnle is tuptured they fall, being scattei'ed tinly
by chance influences of vegetation and "'ind. Each seed is surrounded
by a hJ,aline mucil8}gin.ous covering which is ordinarily inconspicuous
,vhen ·tl1e seed is. dry. ,Vhen the 1>eeds scattered over th.
surface, o,f the ground are moistened, as by a sh0 .,ver of rai;n, this cove1
'.ing S\\'ells, bec.9mes mucilgin011s, and at;taches itself tempo:rarily
to particles of earth or to whatever i t pOmes in contat ,vith. Afte:r \
be.con.ting tborougl1ly 111oistened tl1e seed gravitates to the 1),>ttom of
the 1nttcilaginot1s coveting a,nd rests t1pon the s11pporting soil. Upon
the e,,a.poration of the absorbecl moi.sture the mucila.ge drie.s in si1ch
a wa,y as to. le.ave tlte seed in the bottom of a s,1all pit ifi the gron11d.
This -depresl3ion l1a.s usually ca dian1eter a.bent three times that "©f
the seed and a depth eqnal to or slightly g1·eater tb:a.11 the distance
between its flat surfaces, 'l'be abra.dig of the Sll rface cln1·ing the
snb$equent t,vo to five ·month&, during ,vhich the seeds lie dormant,
erves to efectually cover theem, so that t-hey are r.ea.dy for ger1nin a tion
11p0n theaclveuto;f hest11nmer rains. Jl1st,vhat.the1ne.cJ1anism is
PLATE IV.
FIG. 1.-SHAO $CALE 1ATRIPLEX GANESCENS IN FENCED FIELO 'IEAR TUCSON, ARlZ.
-''---
-
•
-
- - -'I,!-.
•
FrG. 2.-CATTLE FEO GIN TUF.TEO PLANTAIN P-t.ANTAGO FAST!GIATA ANO ALFILARIA
EROOIUM CICUTARIUM ON WAY TO MARKET, MAY, 1901.
FEED 0:-f THE RANGE, 17
which serves to sink the seed into tlte grountl has not been cleteTtnin-ed
by this sti1d)-. When moistened the gelatinotts cov-ering has a. distinct
radial, striatecl stru.cttu·e, a.rttl the surfaee of the pit .1·0uld indicate
tha.t in son1e , v a ) -the earth is pulled a,va:r from tl1e seed, tltereby
allo,,ing it to sink: iJ.1to tl1e groun<l.. '£11.e process is so effectual as to
cause the see(.l to be suuk e,en in har<l rotttlbeds as ,vell as 11pon the
ge11eTal surfaee of the mesa-. .,.\ i-tudr of this proble1n for t-l1e purpose
of <letermiuh1g ex,tctly tl1e inflttence of this 1nucilagu1011s c0vering in
the burjal of the seed ,vo11ld throw consideT,tble light upon the develop-
1uent of these plants il111nfa"'l·orable desert rogioos, and f.J,011.)tless add
sou1cthing to 011,r kuo"-ledge or seed distributio11. The amo1.1nt of
seed prodttced in the spring of J !"!01 ,Tas exceedingly large. Consic1erable
,1rea-s 011 our range resel·,·e were co1n1)letely co,et"ed ,1·itl1 it. ,A.
sho,1·er of Ti-,ir1 on the :?Gtl1 of )L.t)' ser, -ed to m,1k-e it very conspicuons.
"Satu1·ally every uo"· tr,:tc]{, gopher hole, anl1 other depression was
filled ''"ith it. Vl'"l1e11 the i-ai11 fell these 111asses of seecl became :firn1ly
united together, so1ueti1nes into tl1in crusts ancl so1netiines iuto 1uasses
8 iucl1es or 1nore i11 thicknes. Upon drying t11e 1nesa presented a
peculiar appearance, for these cakes curled in 1nncl1 the sa1ne n1anner
as a m11dcly cleposit on tJ1e botton1 of a clriecl-1tp pool. 1Iany localities
have been seen "·here a third of the ground "'as covered for an
acre or 1nore in extent ,vit]1 cakes of tl1is seed. ,,
r
hen 111oistenecl in
large masses a crust ,1·as invariably formed on the top and bottou1 in
a sho1t tune after the sho,ver passed by. In both crttsts the seeds ,.-ere
relativ-ely abundant. Iu the upper crust this appeared to be due to
1·apid dl'ying, but i11 the lo,ver one it vas evidently clue to gravitation,
-whereby tbe seeds "-ere depositecl on the botto111, "-rl1ere the3' ,vere
incrastecl witlt particles 0f eart11, lei'l>vLUg the mi1c}lage more nearly
pure in the center of the 1nass.
:\Ir. J a.n1es Good win, of Ten1pe, reports tltat tl1e seeds of t11ese species
of plantain are la1·gely usecl for food by the vaTiQ11s Iudia11 tribes of
:\Ie'XiC<!>. _\ be-verage is prepared by soaking the seeds in ,vat.er and
s , , -eetenmg ,vitl1 sugar. In this .1·a3-a sirupy liquid is obtained ,,·hich
is said to be ve1·y uutritio,1s.
S.-\.LTBCSHES A'XD THEIR ALLIES.
These "l)ro'.vse" l)lttnts are p01)11larl:r l,:11o"·u as sage brttsl1 in
Arizona, altl1ough very diferent from the artt:J1nisias of the Xortl1-
,,est, whicl1 a1·e referred to b)7 the sa1ne 11am. EYery ranclter is
acqnaint-e<l ,,rith this portion of tl1e stock feed of the region, but it
l1as appeared to 1ue that its full value is not appreciated. The most
ilnpol'tant of the species obser,·ed is sl1ad scale (AtriJJle;:c canescens ),
although several others, both of tl1e perennial antl an11ua l groups,
occur in large quantities. These fl.re grazed to a greater extent in
the Santa Cruz Valle.r than in any other region y-isited. IIeTe i t is
7710-No. -1-01--2
•
18 RANGE I)1PRO'VEMENT I.N .A.RIZ.QNA.
v·ery eld6n1: tb· a,t- 011e enconntel's a )llant over 2 or 3 feet high on th,e
ope11 range, '"'l:iile i11 protocte.a places b.ushes 10 feet high may oftn
• be seen. Large areas of a luxl1tiant growth of these plants ,vere
for1uerly fonn,d a1oug ·t11e Stnta Cr1)z R.ive1'; ,,here no,v 011ly sl1ort
stl1mpy gro,rths 10 or 12 incl1es high are to l)e fou-ud. It is ou tl1e
plains to the westward and ii1 the Gila a,nd Salt Rivet· valleys, however,
that these plants gro,v in the greatest profusion. I-Iere, as the.
,vriter's observati6r1 goes, the)' ar.e but sligh.tly i11j1Jred by gi-az;ing.
This ap1,')ears especially true in the vicinity of 'l'empe. I11_qne locality
on the Gil;:i,, 110,,vv:eJ.·, as ,vell a,s a,t Tombstone, in tl1e $an Pedro '\T alle)',
9lose cropping of shad scale ,Yas tb,e rule.
"lhe pro:pagation qf the native species o,f AtriJJlex l1as been attended
with considerable liflict1lty, b11t some plant,ing-s. made on tl1e ra11ge
in January have prove11 very successful. In the .case of sba:,d scale
wl1ich a,i:>pea:r.S to be the 111ost proJuising of any ot the 11ati,re sp.ecles,
the se·ed eolleete-d b)' various field ag:ents of the Division i,n tl1e
No, rthwest have usually failed to germi11a· ,te. 'rhis ,vas also the case
with seed collected in Arizona early in Septen1bei· of 1900. 'fhe
same 1naterial collected a 1nontl1 later germinated readily. The differe11ce
could 11ot be one of local co11ditions or diference of treat-
1neut, oeca11se t11ese conditions ,veJ>e identi.cal and the same res\1lts
were obta.ined on the ra11ge anc1 in ger1ninati9n tests in the ·gre.e!l-
11.ouse. A favorable tin:1e for eollec-ting seed o.f the native. sper-ies
,vhich occur iii this region is late Octob.er to J a,nuary. It \vill J)rob
ably grQ\V just as ,vell if ollecood in late O,ct,otier as at a11y other tune,
b11t gatlie1:ing ea,n be done to l)ette:i: a.dvantae later in the sea.son,
beca11se the seeds strip of m.ore r-ea,dil)' a,:nd require less drying-Djrc11mstances
of considerable i111portl'lnce to tlie seed collectol'. In the
moister alkaline regions the grease"ood (Sarcobatus 1.1er11icuZatits) is
often fourtd in ;-1,bnr1di1n· ce, but obseT,ration iudica,tes that it is not
browsed as 1nuch_ as ,one ,vould e'xpect. It is certainly a. n111ch inferior
food to the saltbu, sh. '\T\iinter fa.t (E1.1,rot·i-ci l(tnata), on tlxe. contrary,
a,ppears to be nea,1,1y ex.terminted on th open 1,nge. 1',vo or three
l,)11shcls of seecl coul<l ha- ve oeen gatherecl on the railroi(l right o. f ,vay
pet"1een Dragoon_ a,nd Oocl1ise in October, b11t 011tl1e ope.11 Tange only
t,vo or three clb-sely et·opped b1u,ihes "'ere. to be found. This is the
only place in ,vhich tl1e plant h,a.s bee11 eollect.ed.
'l'he most important plant a.1noug t-11e leg·u1ues is t11e 1uesq11it (Pro$
Opis velutinci '\i\T ooton? 1). 1'11e sc1:e,v bean (P. pubescens) is also com,mon,
but it neve.r gro,vs in 1311ch pro.f11sion as th-e other closely related
1 The prevailing species in southern Arizona has been ret'er1:ed 'to P. j<iiliflor:a.
It is n'Ot, however., the sarne plant that is refei:.r.ed to this species i!1 Txas and the
grea,ter part of Ne'\v· Mexico. The Arizona plant corcresponds closely in everything
but fruit characters to P. pu,bescens. ,
\
li'EED ON THE RANGE.
1
19
speliies. o 1nnch has been ,vritteJ1 l"egaTding the fo1·age value of this
plant that b11. t little need be :-¼lid in this place. In this l'egion it forms
much of the feed duril1g t11e l1ard times, not only i11 spTing and ear. l)7
summer ,,bile i t is succulent ancl gl.'een, but also in il1e winter, whe11
it would be oTdiuarily con.'>idered 1Yorthless. .D·uring· the past mnte1·,
,,hen the l)astnres along the Sa11ta Cruz "'ere Yery short, not only the
pods b1.1t the lea.,es of this tree as ,vell ,,ere eate11 bJ' c.attle. 11111e1·ous
instances ,ve1·e observed "'here the leaves as they fell fro111 t11e
trees ,,ere completely cleaned up in la.rge areas il1 t.he thick 1nesquit
gro,·es oi the region,
Beside..:; the niesqnit the1'e :tte seYeral sp.ecies of _,J.cacia ,Yhich are
bro,,sed to some exte11t. The leaY.es oi tl1ese al'e also eaten after they
ha,e faJlen in much the ame manner as the 1nesquit during times of
short feed. )Ia,11· species of Lu.JJines, Horsctckias, and Ast'ragalus
abound and furnisl1 a Ltrge :pa-rt of tl1e feecl on the 1noister mesas
and foothills for a shott tin1e in the spring. A.stragalus n,u·ttallii,
,vhicl1 is the oom1non species in tlle moister mesa region, is worthy of
special mention. It js readily eaten and under faYorable conditions
furnishes ml1ch palatable feeu. Se,eral s1uall areas 011 the range
reseTve tract had a complete coYering of this plant during the past
spring. It is a s1nall plant, but has the ad , -antage of foTming such
a dense gro,Ytlt as to con1pletel;y c o , -er the ground. Its seeds are also
comparati;-ely easily collerted. If gathered before fully ripe the
"·hole plant \\ith its abundant seecl suppl;r can be collected, l)ut if left
until t4e ]1e.rbage is (lead and dry the pods can l)escraped np fr-om the
grouncl ,\·itl1 little, if n11y, loss of seed.
1'h.e cact11ses look v·ery t1ninYiting to the a,7erage stock raiser, b11t •
they, nevert}1ele.ss, are of so1ne ,·alue and are resorted to in times of
grea1; necessity. Dt1ring the past ,\'illtf)l' at least a half dbien ins tan ees
we:re obser,ed of tl1e actual eating of these plants b)- cattle. The
species most freq11ent1r made use of i11 tl1e Yiciuity of T11csoJ1 are
Opuntia Jul(lida, 0. S]Jinos·ior, O. i.•ersic0lor, antl O. aruiiscula. TJ1e
t1,,o named first prod11ee a n rt.bundance of frnit ,,·hich is free Jro1n
large spines. The former has many b1.1nches of s1nall frnit, " ·l1ile the
latter has large fruits bo.rne si11.gly. 011e 1na3- often during a hard
winter obser,e aattle l1a,ing a dozen 01· 1n0Te joints of this species
atta-ehed to tlieir heads and necks. "C"sually tl1ese joints re-1uain in
these positio11s u11til the:r are,1·11bbed of or tintil they festei- and dl'op
out of th.eir O'l\71 acec;u·d. Frag1nents of these plants break off Yer.r
readily, and cattle reac-hil1g 1u1der the joh1ts to obtain the fruit are
a.1most certain t o co1ne in contact ,vith one or n1ore of them.
Kuo-wing of the expe1·iinents conducted in 'Texas of feeding these
plants ( 0. engelnianni especially), in January, the experi111e11t of singeing
the spi11es as thoronghly as possible fron1 a portion of a. 1nedium-
20 RANGE I1PRQVEAIENT IN AR:IZO.NA.
sized specin1en of O. sp,inosior ,-vas tried. About one-third of the
plant ,vas left 11nsinge€l. Te11 da,ys later, ,vhe;1 tl1e locality was again
vifiited, the si11ged portion had all been eaten dovn to tl1e' old b:a1,cl
wood. A. . .sn ear as co11ld bt j11dged th. greate-r pa.rt of three y; ears'
gro\vth had been eate11. 'l'J1e cttle ,vere do11btless attracted bl the
small qn.intit;y 'of hay (11sed i11 t11e sin,geing) th.a,t ,vas scattered O\'eT
th gronnd. · It is well kno,vn tha.t tl1ese plants, at certain tin1es of
the year a.t lea.st, are very rich in sta,rch, and for tJ1at reas011 nta,:r be
1nore 1111tritious than one ""Onld be led to believe. To "·Jiat extent
this form of vegetation.-, so 1tb.undaJ1t 0J1 the 1nesas of thii, region, can
be 11tilized as 9attle food in tilite of scareity is 11op k:no,vu. Neither
is it knq,v11 \\'hether tlte 11lauts ,vill s111·vive the, singeing process.
T,vo e.xperin1euts ,vere stal·ted for tbe plll'J)ose of €1eter1nining tJ1.e
latter point, 1in1, t enga, ge1ne11ts coinpelled the .v1titer to leave tl\e regi.ou
before all)' eonclnsion could be reacJ1ed. Tl1e si11geb1g of the giant
cact11s ( Gereus giganteus) is s:a,id to .htp,re been a coi.nnaon pra.ctice
a1non_gt11e I11diru1s i11 for1ner ti1nes. By lighti11g tlle ,spi11es @f tJ1e giant
Oereus tl1er g::.ve 1nome1itary sig, n,als to tlreir .frie11ds in the distance.
l\1an3r of these plants with burned spi11es we1·e enco1111teTecl d111'i11g tl1e
the past season i11 full bloon1 a,nd in apparently l1ealtl13· condition.
v\rhetlter the other species will bettr tl1e sa111e treat,rnent re111ai11s to be
determined. It is certain tha,t th·e spines alone prevent their being
eaten 1nore exte11sivel:y by ca,ttle.
THE GRASSES.
As usual in ever)' ra11ge tl1e grasses :fqr111 tl1e l::n1llc of cattle food.
Oth1' plA.nts are niore or less irnportant,. brc11,11se they Serve the very
t1sefl1l p11rpose oftenti1nes of tiding o'ver periods @f short pasJntrage.
vVbile the bulk: of the feed i11 n1a113.· loe:Uities fol'. tl1e gi'eti;tea: part of
the year is obtained frorn the grasses, the otliet ye·geti:ition 1nentioned
above serves the -v-ery vital p11rpose of f1irnishiug a snbsiste1ice 1·ation
1''hen the 1nore nutritious and palatable grasse$ fail e11tirely. It is for
this reaso11 th:at the species of Flantago, Atriplex, and .liJrocl1,1.t1ri are
of so 1nu.cl1 importance ancl tJte Oactacece are 1nen1;iorted a;5 Qe1ng of
possible 11tili:ty.
i\:t the prese11t tin1.e perenniaJ g1·a.ses are rarely 'fou11d 011 the gene.ral
mesa i11 the S.1tnta Cruz V lle,;r i11 the vicinity of onr experimental
tract, unless it be i11 a.n occasional Stl'3i)' b11nch p1:otctecl b}; the tl1en'ns
of the u1esquit or tlie s:piues oJ the caet,us. In tl1e pTotectecl 1,Iaces
alo11g the river bottorns a.re. still fonnd e.xcelle11t grdivths of saec.aton
(SJ.:;,orobolus ivrightii). T11is lta,s beei.l to .a, lat·ge extent exterininated
i n recent years fol' agricultural p11rposes, so tha,t tire o'nl,y pla,ees i n
wl1ich jt is found at the present time are in an oc0asional past1.1re or
in uncultiva,ted portions of fenced fields. It is one of the 1nost persistent
of tbc native species of tl1e region. 'I'be ,vood)r cha:ra.c.teT of
the c,tlms preve11ts i.ts bei1J.g graed closely, ,vhtch, 110 doubt1 has
•
Sul 4, Bureau of Plant lndu•try, U. S, Oef)ct, o.f Agricvltore.
•
,
Mk - -
- ---· -: ----
- . .
- . . -
PLATE V.
..
-
FIG. 1.-0PERATIONS IN RANGE IMPR0VEMENT NEAR TUCSON, ARIZ., JANUARY, 1901 •
•
-·
F11,. 2.-RANGE RESERVE TRACT NEAR TUCSON, ARIZ., SJ-Hl>yVIN'G A TYPICAL (,REOSOTE-
8USH lL•A.RR.EA MEXl<;:AN·A) LOCALITY,.
. '
•
PLATE VI.
FtG. 1.-CACTlS (0PUNTIA ARSUSOULA) FROM RAN<>E RESERVE TRACT NEAR
TUCSON, AR!Z.
'1:1:w iruit i!' e.itcn lJr cattle during h•lrt r,a!itttr<: .
•
FtG. 2.-CACTUS (0PUNTIA FULGIOA). A But-icH OF PENDANT FRUIT ANO ONE JOINT.
l;'EED ON THE RANGF.. 21
much to do wit]). its p . el'sistency u11der heavy pastl1.1:ing. It has been
reported to J.ne that the expense of cle1:Lrin a piece of ground of saceaton
i-s as great a.s the clea,ri11g of ru.1 equal area of n1esqnit timbex.
Tl1e feed fron1 this source is very eo1,rse 1,11d is us1.1ally considered of
a:n inferior quality, }Jut, li.ke the saltbusl1es, It fut·nishes feed when
nothing else can. be fo1.1nd. Of sin1ila.r 11tility is th.e salt grass (Distichlis
sz>icata), "'hich is gra,zed to a large exiie11t during seaso11s of
of short feed. It is n1uel1 iufe1·ior i11 fee-dh1g qualit)r to the Raccaton.
Du_ring the dl',f sea.son of 1900 it is sai<l to J1ave saYed many J1erds of
cattle fron1 star,·atio11 i11 the SulpJ1ur S1)ri11g Valley1 where there are
tho1.1sands of acres of it :ind \Vh_ere either fron1 the efect of alkali or
OYerstocldng 11othing e-lse gro,vs. On sandy })O-rtio11s of the river bottoms
n1ar be found considerable quantities of drop-s.eed (Sporobolus
c1·yptand. rus), S. st1·ictus, a11d Al'izo11a millet ( Gha>tochloa co1n,posita).
. 'l'he 1nost ilnporta.nt nntritions g-riLsses ,vhicl1 predo1ninate on the
open 1uesa ra11ge are bla.ck gra1na, (Hilaria mutica,), H. ,janiesei,
cnrlr 1nesquite (H. ce1ichro1'des), blue gran1a (Boruteloiia oligostachya),
10\" grama (B. polystcicliya), wolly-foot (B. eriopoda),. side oats grtt1ntL
(B. c1LrtiJJerichtla), a11d black l1eacl!s (Pappo1Jhoruni. 1vrightii). In
de_pressions ,vher0 ,vatel' ac. cun1nlntes a.fter surn1rH' ra.ins good gro,vths
of Chloris elega1i.s, everlasting grass (JJ!riochloc1, J.Jtt,11ciata), vine mesq11i
te (Pan,ioi1,1n obtiisuni), .P. colo1i1.t,rn, and .E1·clgrostis 1ieornew,£canc.1,
a,re fouu<.l.. In sucl1 1noist locLlities, ,vhe1:e close pasturing is not the
i-nle, there may us1.1all3· l)e found also fine gro,vths of feat.her grass
(_4:n.cl,r·opogon tor-reyaniis). This grass, however, is 11ever see11 on the
uuprote- cted range in anr: quantity. I,arge al'ea.'S ,vere encountered on
tlte r-aill'oad rigl1,t of ,vay: in the vicb1ity of Cochise in 10(). 011 the
open l',,nge one seldom finds it, except; ,Yhere protected by the tJ1orns
of the 1nesquite Ol' spines of t1H ,cactus. On tl1e generitl me;-;a, ,vhere
the soil clees not ,v-asJt badly, tl1er@ are i11,rariably found 1.a,rge quantities
ef six ,veeks granta, (BouteloiLa. a1·istidoi'des) afte'l· the s1u11n1er
rains. rrhis s1,1ecies, kno,¥n 1,opti.larly as s i x -\\'E'el{s gTass, fur11ishes
a great, clea1 of excelle11t :fee(l for a Shor· t tin1e. Iesides the abo,,e
should be n1e11tioned se,eral species of .1lfuliwnbergia and Aristi:da,
yhieh for sl1oi·t periods fuTni.s11 rn1.1cl1 feed of an i11ferior €1ualit3r.
The prece1ing descriptioJ, "-ould apply fairly ,vell for 1900 to t)1e Sulpn.
u1· S13ring °"\Talley. 1'he qua11tity diminished gradually to the "'est,
va.rcl as far as T1tcso11, ,vhere, a,lthouil1 the species u1entioned a.bo,re
were commonly fo11nd, there ,vas but little feed furnished b)' the
nati,-e grasses. Du1·iug 'the second "eek i11 October liLrge a.Teas on
the gentle slopes near tl1e foothills in the San Pedro ,1:alle;y were
very fai1·ly covered. ,vitl1 short gro\'ths of Bo·uteloua a.ristidoicles, B.
po7,ystachya, PappoJJliorum ivrightii, a11d Naz.ia a.lie1ia.
The adaptability of the gras$es, as \Ye:11 as the other vegeta,tion in
this region to conditions of environn1ent, is son1ething ,vonderf11l.
\·aTiatio.n in size as the direct infl l1ence of q uantitJ' of moistw·e is oftn
•
22 RANGE I!PROVEMENT IN ARIZONA.
,,ery 1narke(l. C1il,oris elegans , ,vl1ich 91nmonly grow:,; 2 -feet 11igh,
ma,y be often Jot1nd on t.}1e drier n1es.as in scat,tering sp.gimeus maturing
pe,rfect seed ,vl:len t11e whole plant above ground 1hea,.sures no
more than an inch a -lid a quarter in le11ith. Six-,veeks gran1a (Bouteloi1,
c1, arisf!idoides) is .often 1·educed fron1 the maxiniu1n of 12 inches in
V
c,
0
b
-,:,:
r, .
01---'
•
0,
1.2
. . ····y
}
10
I
_ 1s I . -.J . ,J 20
1
r '<?51
.:so I
.:ss I
.49 I
45 I
I o
I
55 I
60 I
ss I
70 I
-17·5 I
d,
80 o
6i.
85 . I 9.o I 95
100 I
105 I
1101
115 I
120 I
,2s I
130 I
13s I
140 I
145 I
a,
«> i5 150 I
-i C'1 \ 15:; I
·ru . • ...• r.
·' !i I I I I I I; I i I Iii i m al
-- - - --·- .:. ,1'600: - - - - - -- -.: . - .
height, with a dozen or more branches-, to a single c:ulm th1·ee-fourths
of an inch long1 1naturing 15.ut ene or t,·0 spikele·ts. Correspontling
, a,riations in size are esp.ecially noticeable in all of the a:nrlua ,l .
spe,c.1es.
'l'h 1n9t1nta,in range presents a, yerr <;.hara,cteristic a.ppea.ra11ce-.
THE RA.XC-:E RESER'\"E TRACT. 23
R.ec-ei ,·iug as it does a mote liuera.l snp1.>ly of 111oist.ure, the development
is n1ore Ynifor111 during the gro" -ing seaso11. E,·en hel'e 110 so<l
is formed, indeed uo s,od <:onld usl1all· be formed if the n1oisru1·e Gonditions
,,ere e'\"er so favo1·able, for the p1•esence of loose jagg&l rocks,
"-ith the exceedingly- rnggd condition , ,ro1.1ld almost con1pel the
gro"-th of grasses in small hunches. 'fhe grasses ''"hich fo1·1u the
main feed i11 such localities, ancl therefore tl1e 1nost conspicuous of
this portion of tbe ,·egetation, a-Te _-l1id,·01Jogon- conto;-fus, _{. leuco1>0-
go1,, T,·ach ypogon secu ncltts, Elio1t1(r11.-s ua ,·bicu71l1,is, Hilatia sp.,
Bouteloun b,·onioicle;;, B. oligostachya, B. t,trfipendulli, 'J.>rioc7a n111fica,
Erag;·o.,;Jis lugens, _lfithlenue1·gia gracillin1a, JI. porte;-i, Epicrt"IJes
rigens. ancl _J,·istida sp. 1'hese regions ai·e often so i.11accessible tl11cit
stock can 11ot rea<;h tl1e1n. They al'e therefore more 11early prin1iti\
·e tha11 the n1esas, and 011e i:; a l>le to get a better idea of their
pro(lucti,·i1y.
THE RANGE RESERVE TRACT.
The range i1npr0Yeme11t \vo:rk i.n .Arizona l)eing of a diferent character
fro1u that 11suall,r conte1uplated, and being in a reg1011 111.ore completely
di,·ested of range grasses than any othel' 111 tl1e e11ti1·eco1tutr:r,
r1:<a ui reel c-onsiderable eareft1l stnuy in ad ,·ance to disco,·er tJ1e propeT
locHlity for e-xperiinentatiou. Accordinglr, the greaterpa.rt of a "·eek
,-.-ass1Jent in a. n1·,·ey of tl1e sutro11ndingconutrj·i.J1tbe ,·icinity ofTucson
for the pt1rpose of detrminiog "·hie11 of the three typical ii.i·eas
(n1ea, foothill, or ri,·er bottom) ,,ould be the niost favorable and gi,e
tl1e 1nost eonser,·a-ti,·e a11d Yalltab1e data upon ,,·hiclt to base jt1dgment
of the 1·esnlts obtained by eperiJncutatio11. Finally a r1tther
fa,-01;ab1e inesa area. was selected at A11 alttude of about; 2,600 fet
abo,-e ··ea le,·el and about -tOO feet higllet· tl1a11 the citJ· of Tucso11.
This tract, "·hich \Yas st1bseqaentl,r reserYed fro1n entry at the req11est
of the }Ion. J a1nes ,"\-ilson, · ecretary of • .\.gricnlturei, s clescribed in t11e
Go,ern1uen t s11rveys; as secs. g6, gi", 3-1, a11cl 35, '1'. 14 S., R .. 1-± -,
Gila and Salr RiYer 1ueridiu1.
Su1ne"·hut d iagon,111-y tl1rougl1 tl1e center of Lh i& a.rea runs the Soutlteru
Pacifi<; Rai
.
lv,a·, and a. sJ1ort uistauce to the east of it is localed
\\'il1nut Siding-. The soil i,; a clay loa1n, 1nixed "·it h considerable sand,
and sulJtendetl at a tleptl1 of 2 to 2½ feet by a ca1cal'eons h,trdpan,
knu,,·n among the )Ie-x:icans b:r the significant J1a111e '· <:alicl1e...
Tl1e
slope, \\"lrich is 1·ather gentle, ha.s a. general J1orth ,yesterl5- <lirection,
and i tra,-el':-e<l by three n101·e or less distint:t, broad, shallo,,- depressions,
\,bich 1·ecei ,·e rhe drainage of a consiclerablo ar<.'a of lantl to the
southeast. S11cl1 a region, ,vith l)1·ond, shaliO'>Y "·ashes, ,,as purposely
selected. It was the h1rentioJ1 to aLteJnpt to conserve ,,-ai:er flo,\-on the
mesa, and to disC!.o,·er ,,J1at can l)e do11e to,Ya1·d pl'e,-e11ting "run-of"
of \Vater uuri11g the rainy seaison oe J1.1ly an(l -\.ngust. Su.ch "·ashes,
although the most faYorable tor th-e growth-Of vegetatio11 of all kinds,
•
,
24 RANGE IPROV'EMENT I ARIZONA.
ar Jrevertl1eless typical of large t1'.acts of desert, not only in the Santa
Cruz, but in the Sa,n Pedro, Gila., and Salt River :valleys as well. ,
A triangular portio-n ·of this reservation, consisting of 336 acres
aajoining "the S.outherr1 Paific rigb.t of ,yay, has been placed under a
substantial fou.r-,vire fence supported o n 'SiJ1ged mesquite posts 13½
feet a,part. The area e:ncon1passes nearly a-11 the va,rieties of exposure,
draiuag·e, and soils, and is,. in sl1ol'tJ a typical mesa :rgion in every
respect. The a.d , ·a,ntage ta.ken .of the rail,vay fence e11abled 11s to
inclose the tract at a minimun1 cost. Two miles of fe-nc.e, at-an approximate
cost- Qt.$15.0 a n1i1e., covers practically the ent.ire expense of t-he
in closure.
,,
r
11e11 selected, tJ1is tract of land, like 1,he surrounding regi@n, f11i;n-i
shed practieallJ' no feed .; the ,ground ,va:s bar.e, except for cacli and
shrubby gro,vtl1s of little or n o forage value. 011 tb:e higl:ier. and
poorer soils are fouud chara:cteristic growths of the creos'Ote. bush
(Larrea 1n:ex1iccina), around the base of which is almost invariably
follnd Perez,ia 1ian,a ,vhich, ui1like the vast m-ajority of dBsert plants
l)Ossesses a very vleasa11t odor. Scattered oveT the enti1·e area are to be
found luxuriant growths of cacti, mainly of tl1e genus Opun&ia. 'l'he
main species or this fa,mily are 0. fulgida1 Q. S.1J·i1iosior, O. arbu$c1.ila,
0. erigeJrnannlli,, C(!;re.us fe1.idler,i, C. greggii'., Ecliinocactiis iuislize11i. , .
All of t,h.e lower areas have sca.tt.el'ing g-ro:wths of mesqn.it (F1·osopi,s
v.eluti?ifi), palo ·ve. rde (Parkins.onia to,rreya1ia), Ziz,yphus ly,;roides,
Ly_citim sp., E,icldellia 0001Je1·i, Bigelovia sp .. , and Eph).i:era t'1ijurca.
A f.ew speci1nens of Yiicca -elata, are al.s,o to be fotJu.d. These pla,nts
for1ned the conspicl1ous portion 0£ tl1e vege.tation in September, ,vhecn
tl1e land ,vas ,selected, a-nd there w-as no grass exeept an occasi.onal
tuft of six.-weeks' grass (Boiiteloua aris&icloides) and low grama (BouteloiLc1,
1Jolystaoh!jct). Soon after this date tl1.e tra,ct assumed a mo1·e
promising aspe.ct) a,11d ,veedy gro,vtl1s of vario11s kinds bega.n to spring
up a.fter tbe vel'y lig;ht sn1n1ner rains. It was not until Janua,ry,
however, t-J1at tbe ,·eg·.ta,tion beca1ne n1arked. From this time o n
until the 1st of l\ittr{lh there ,vas n aibqnp.aut development of shol'tlived
-annuals. The roost conspic;uous of these ,vas the California
poppy (Esclisoh,oltzia 11iexieana), wbicl1 ,va& so abu11tlant in localities
here and in other portions of the- valley as to give its ½'haracteristic
golde11 hue to the enti.re landsca.pe, so1neti1hes for many actes in
extent. Tl1e 11ext in abundance was India,n wheat (Plantaoo fasti.
giata), of ,vhich a description will be fouud elsewhere (p. 15).
Besides t11ese, there ,.-ere a great ma.-u:r b·oyages, whtch wer·e often tbe
c-l1aracteristic ,-,.egetation o-.ver lai·ge areas. The prinGipa.l genera of
this far. nily re·prese11ted ,veTe Pe,;to.;rar. 11a1 Ecliiltiocar· .1Ja, .Anisin,kia,
Eohi11.osperniuni, arnd E1·etr'ioliiu1n. Ai\mong otl1er co11spicuous pla11ts
may be mentioned 1lrlalacothi; glabrata, Ohce1iactis lan,osa, DC1.t<;U,S
JJti,Sillus, Boiul.esia se1)teritrioU,<;, Erodiii_11i cioiitar·iiim, E. texa?'l/l;J,ni,
Salvia coliumbaric.e, an.d the peculiar CHhiotherci SQQ.l)oidea. In a fe,v
THE RANGE R'ESERVE TR.A.OT. 25
-
loca,lities eonspicuot1s growths of the pric)rly poppy (Arge1none platyceras)
.. rere to be seen. 'l'he latter was quite persistent and continued
to bloon1 UJlt,il June.
In this description no attempt is made to give a list of the plants
growing on the feii:ced a,re:t. A suficient number is given to show
the character of the ·vegetation in the different seasons.
By the 1st of April the 1najority of the ,vinter annna.ls .-ere dried
up, and a mo11th later the:r were all quite dead and tl1eiT seed had
bee11 scattered, so that a.11 that ,vas 11ecessary to rnake the region look
as it did th pre,vious fall ,,-as. to ha.Ye tlt& cattle eat of the dead
he1·bage, ,vhich they ,vere rapidly doing on t.he outside of the fence.
•
n I Q 6 ' ti
NORTI\
s t , '
W
i------------ ------ ------------· ------------ ----------·-- U.-T
"Sea.te: cw r;cr "'-
S{)\JTtl
Fro. 2.-Diagt·am of Area C. The tlgut·es indicate the position o:f the stakes in each plot; broken
lin!l, separatien between disked ancl.harrewed partions.
The following detailed account of the forage plants planted is; presented
for compaTison with figtrres 2, 3, 4, and 5, re.spectivelj'.
AREA C.
Operations. were begun on this pla,t on the 10th of Ja.nuar:r, immediately
after a ra,.infall of O.J2 inch. After seecli11g the no1·th half ,vas
disked and the south half harro,-ved directly east an<:1 ,vest. 'l'he
gren1ncl was conspicuo11sly Ticlged by the disk .barrow, and the seed
was conseq11entlr eo,ered to ,1arying depths. S11bsequent sh.o"'ers
showed be·yond a doubt that thls ridging ,,,as an a<lvantage i11 pi·eventiug
a Tun of of ,,-atel'. The area is 4:00 feet in ,ndth b) 2,200
fet!f. i11 jts greatest lengtJ1. It meas11res 11½ acres and coutai11s plats
1 to 12, on ,\·hi.ch ,vere planted seed, as follo,vs.
Numher of plat.
I
1 ..... -- .... - . -.. -. --.
9
-- ...... ---... - . -... .
a_ ------ -. --...... -.. - 4- -----··-- - ---------- 0. --·--·---·---- ···-·-
6 ....... .. ........ ··-·-·
-'------····-·····-····
$ •• _ --·------·-··----
9«·-··-···-··-------·-
lOa ...... _ ............
lla.-----------··,-·--
12a ...................
Name ef forage pla,nt sewn. Seed, nati,-e
f9rejgn.
or
Chloris elegans _ ______________________ Arizena_ .. . .....
Nohig-sown --·········-·······-·-·I--·-:--···-· ······-·
Ohlor?selega1is_.·····-····· ·-·-····· Arlzona .• -.-·----
-·---dO----··--------------··-·-·------ --·-dO------ --·---
And1·opqgo,i s,;,cchatbides _ _ _ _ __ ·
i
--._ _ dp ___ --·• • ._ .
Ag,:opy,-on spiat,un• • __ ••.••. __• • .••
,
N erthwest• •..•..
Agro111J1·on occi(f.enfCl.le . -· ·---.••.••••••• do •• -·-___ · - _
Hila1·ia1iv,.tic,1< ·-----______ -··· -·---- Ai·izona_ ___ _._ ____
B1·omm 1twioloid.es __________ . ------. - (?)
,BroJtUS "ta1-ginat1is -.. --- .... --- --... Idahe . --..... -. -- ,l'app_pplwrw» vagi1iatu1n ·-__ ••.• ·-_ Al'izona _________
:E1wotia lanata --------------·-····-· _____d o _. _. .. . . .
Ai-a of
plat-
Feet . .
400 b•y 60
40 by 140
40 by 40
40 by
4-0 by 4-0
4-0 by 20
4 0 by 20
40 by 100
3.50 by 1ll0
200 by 10
150 by 10
100 by 10
a The areas given for pla;s 9 to are only appro:.,imate, for the-:Y, t,aken together, for,n a triangle.
and the !l'Xaet length of eae)l plat has uot been determined.
26
.
!') ,-.
"' "...
"
$
:;, :8
$ l8
"'
s f'&
I
I
; 'I
0 "'
""'
"'"' re
,1CV.
')> <> ru "'
•
I
I
I
I I '
&
'
'
I
I ''
I
"0' I
I
I
0 I
. I
I
<1>
1 . u
/z= i ..
RAN&E IMPRQV:EMEliT IN A.RIZ@NA.
-
I
0
t; = . 1lt .
0
.
0g
-o
f:V')
AREA E .
This area like C, extends directly east l:l.nd
west. The ,vest, half, consisting of plats 13
tp 32, ,vas sown without previous preparation
of t-b·e ground. The south half of tl1is portio,
n was then disked and harro"ved east and
west, an.d the ll!Prth 'ha,lf harrowed twice in
the same directioJX. The east half, consisting·
of pL;'l.ts 60 to 7 5, was disked i11 an e.a,st and
west direction before, qeing planted and afterw-
ardSJ:i,arrowed north and soutli. 'l'he entire
·area measu.res 400 feet irt width by 2,4:0Q feet
in its gteatest lenth, and contain:s 19½ acres.
'.Phe seed planted here were as follo,vs:
Number
·.of
p'lat,
Na.me of forage plant
SO\VD.
Sed., ria.tjve Area o f ·
o r foreign. plat.
18 a ..... A·r-isticlt• b,-qm:.oides...... • . Ad:zona ....•.
.14 a.... Aristide. hwrnbol<ltiana . .. ..... do .....•..
15 a.... ,-.,1,,hlenbe,·oia g1·a1Jilfs ...•. ... .,dp ....... .
1'6.(. ... St·iPc•spp . . . .. .. ...... ..... New i\fexicq.
17·a... Cleutochloo. composite• .... Arizona. .....
18 cf..... z,rea,us »1in1tt>ijlo1·t•.... .. . Bi:azil ..... ... .
10 a.... 'si·on,1.,.s uniolo.ides . . . . . . . . Australia" .. .
20 a-,... .lih·ioeonta . 011spidetta. • . . . .. ( ?)
21...... Spor,;bol·us. ·w)·(glttii-. • . . • . . A-rizona.- ... .
2'2...... Sporobolus fnear.) ior-1:ghiii ..... do-........ .
2-.. .. . Spero.bolus CJ;JP: ttindr1,s... Colol'ado. ....
,., ---···- ..... do .......................... . Ariz6n.a ...•..
-25. ••.• Spo,·obol1is airoides . . . .... Wyoming. . ..
26. . ... . Boi,telouc polystnchya. •.. Ari'zona ...... .
27..... . Boutelotta ·e,1wrtipend11(c•. .•......d o• •••••••
28. .. .. . Boutelotta h.wn.i6oldtia"la-. Wew 1\1exi'co.
29...... lJotit/01,a;.e·riopocla . • • • • • • Arfzpna .•..•.
80. ..... Boutelo11a atistidvides ..•.•.•.. do ....... .
'31. __. .. {Bo1.te!tUl'JIO/USli(ch1,1a .... }. . _.do_ ....•_ _
Chlon• elegan s .............
32. ..... Boutelo1a•-0ligostcciltyct ... ..••. <lo. ...•••.
60. ••.... Elynti,s si»1p:elx... •• .• • . ..• Wyoming .••.
61...... Eluni'lt.S canadensis var.... l ?)
{ l!oa fendler-ic<1Ht .••......... } 62 .•....
B'out.el01t(t' erio1;,o(Ja . . ..... New iexico.
.,0 {E1y1nus lt'rltbt'g>HtS •.••••••• v,,.. _____ ·, }M· o n' ta na·1• ....
Poa luci<1a. • • . . . . • • • • . . • • . . ·
Feet:
10 by 1i
llOby 62!-
110 by 62f
10 l)'y 60
100 by 110
100 bv 110
10 b; 20
400 by 20
4-0 by 10
40 by 10
200 \)y 10
2()Q by 1(/0
20 by 20
20 by 10
20 bJt 10
20 bylO
20 by JO
200 by 100
4UO by 10
200 b'y 10
20 Pl' 10.
40 by 10
2()()by 5D
200 by 50
6!.. .... Elyint,s conclensatus. •• ,. ...... .d o. ....... 20 by 10
65...... Elynn, vi1·ginig1,s stt11>i- Washington . l100 by 10
tiqus.
66... .• . Agi-opyi,on te1'e, .ur» .•• ___ ('?) 40 by iOO
.6 '1...... Agi·opyfn s1,i,cctl-tfni •••••• Wa!;bingtpn . 20 by .1,0
68 ...•.. Agrop.yrq·l!, occidei-tale. •••• ( ?) 2(1() by 10
69 •...•. Bo,,tel()11c, oli,gosttcch'!(a •.. Arizona...... .ioo by 10
t, Th.e measutemen t-s Qf -plats 1 3 to 20 are on!y approximate.
THE RANGE RES.ER-VE TR.ACT. 27
l:i umber of plat, Nam!¼ of forage plant sown. Seecl, native or Mea of.
forei¥JL plat.
70.... . . . . • . . . .. . • ... . . .. . . . . . . . Boutelo polystachya . . . . •.. ... .. .. Arina. ....•....
71....... .. .. . . ..... .... ... .... Bo,lleloua bro11ioides • •• .•• .••.. •.••. New Mexico .....
72. .....••.......· -············ Rila1-ietce,cnh,-oides ................. \V;iuhington,D.C.
t. ........... .... .. . . . . . . . . ... . Ei·ag,·ostiS neoinexi,:;ana • • • .• • • •• • • . Ariena ..•......
1,t...... . . . . .• • •. .•• • .• . • . .• •. . • B,,011,us i,olyantJ,su pa:n·ic-ulatus . •. New .Me:sico ...•.
Feet.
!ObylO
40 by 10
200 by 10
l!0/1 by 10
200 by 100
75.................. ...... .•.... {Plu·aseolus ,·e1t'<Slst •••••••••••••••••• .•••• do. ............ } 020by100 I Phletim. asperun,. . . . . . • . . • . • . . • . . . . . . W ash1ngton .....
·----
NORTH
J4
WE.ST 40 41 42
SCAt.E. Of F[ET
4-3
0 10 200 JOO
SOUTH
Fie;. ·t-Diagram of Area F. The. figul'es indicate the position of tbe numbered st-a.kes-in each
plat
.AR:EA F.
This was devoted en.tirely to saitbushes, except that in a few plats
seeds of natiYe- grasses ,vere also sown. 'fhe area is loc.ated on the
edge of one of the broad, sliallo,v washes a0nd is laid ont roughlr triangular,
so that the measurements given for some of the indiviclual
E.AS-'f
28 RANGE ll\IPRQVE{ENT IN ARXZONA.
plats a.ire pnly approximate. It. con:sist.s of plat.<; 3& ·to 43 and c.Pntains
nearly 4 .acres. The enltivation here. ,va;s more thorQugl1 than
irt either O Qr E. 1'he saltbush seed was sown on the uncultiva.ted
soil. The gT0und \tas then ·disked north a.nd soutl1 and east and ,ve·st.
The g-rass seed ,vas then sown, after ,vhich the entire area ,vas
ha.rro,ved diagonally. ·Seed of saltbusbes was l)la'.nred in plats as
follows:
Number·of plat-.
3 ...................
34.-. .................
3)t-· .. ...............-. ••
36, ...................
37 ..................
8.8 .•.••••••••••••...
' 39 ............ ---·--
,10 ..................
41. . -...' ;. ..........
42 ........._ ..........
43 ••....••.•••••....
N
W-E
s
SC:ALC or ttET
0
Name of forage plant-sown. Seed, native 01·
foi'efgn.
.Area·of
plat.
Feet.
Atrtplex i:.a:nes.cens., •........ Tucson, Arjz ...•. 200 by 309
..... do .................... .... 'l'empe, Ariz ..•.• 20u by 10
At>·tvlex sp . .... ,.. ···•,!>·•····· ..... do ............ 100 by 10
At,'iplex aanescens - .. . - .... - Wy0miDsg ........ lOby 25
At ri,j)lex erenieola ............ .....d o .· ........... lOby 25
At,.'iplex oicμttal,-Jii .•....•..... . ....d o .•...•.•.... 100-by 25
Atriplex volutans ..•...•...•• . .... do ....... ----- lOby 25
A-triplex haiim.oides ....•.... - .... -- ... - . -.... -.
.
100 by 125
lE/,y111us cana;clensfs .....• ·• ... t ?) } 175 by 75 a t'I' iplex !tal-im.oides ....•.... Australia ........
,-
{ Eroco11ta euspidata .....•.•.. New Mexico ..... } 201:>y 20 .,t'(riplex s p ..•.....•.. ....•••. Te,n:pe,. ,\riz ..•..
{Bontelo,a oltgotaehya .• , ... Arizona .......... } 20 by 150 .'!.·triplex se-niibqoc<;ata ........ Qalife>rnia ........
77 AREA. A .
Th.is area, co1:i:sisting of t-,vo
triaug1.1lar p'lats, Nos. 76 and 77,
contains nearly 3 acres. The
north half was twic-e disked
parallel to tb:e north line, the
remainde1· being disked bl1t
once. 'l1he seed was' then sown
a.nd covered with a ha1:row
drl!,wn parallel t o the rail,vay'
fence. Tp..e -se.ed sawn was a
mixture pf various. remnants
' • 1 .
,g
.(\J
fr0m otheT 1>la! ts, as follo,\7S:
Frc;. 5.-Diagram of Area A. The figures ·indica;et
)Jositions of numbere·d. .st akes; :>]roken ar: c,
limi.t of a1'ea t,vice disked befo1'·seeding; oontinuons
args, ridges approximately 50 feet apart
to prev:en·t run of:of ,vater.
Plat 16.-Agropyrontene1·urn,
(Jliloris elegans, Bouteloita oligostacliya,
'Jpor0bol1μ3 airoicles,
Elymu.s caiiadensis,. Erioooma
cusJJidata, $po.rqbolus cryptandrus,
Agropyro1; ocoide.ntale., and Pho,se.olus rutusus.
PZat 77.-Anc/1t·0por/on saecluproic/.es, Chloris elegans, and ]301!,teloua
oligostacliya.
THE R•ANGE RESERVE TRACT. 29
AREA: B.
This area extends diree;tly east and west, contiguot1s to the south
side of Al'ea 0. No seed ,,hatever ,,as s0,,11 here, it being intended
to determine ,vl1at efect. sca,rifying the surface "1Vould l1ave on the
de,elopment of native vegetation. .\ fine-tooth harro,v was drawn
o,er the aTea in a11 east and ,yest direction.
This space is 200 feet in .vidtl1 and located between O and E. No
seed "'as sown and no cultural operations performed. The object in
laying out the ground in this ,\-ay, ,,-ith an uncultiYa.ted and unseeded
strip between two cultivated and seeded ones, vras to determine,
should the seeded plats prove successfi1l, "·hether the grasses sown
would spTead nattu·ally over unseeded areas.
The cultural operati- ons are vastly more simple than those usuall:r
employed in the grass investigations co11d uc-ted b:· the Di vision. This
is necessarily so because impr·oYemeut of the ra11ge at tl1-e least possible
expense is the deside1·atum here, a11d not tl1e growing of the
greatest aolount possible per acre. The p1·-0duction of forage is s o
smallheTe, at best, that one is obliged to 1neas11rehis pasture b y square
111iles rather th:'ln by acres, and tlle operations iu range im1)ro,-ement
must be on a correspondingly large scale. It bas been dee1n.ecl ,rise,
theTe-fore, to operate sin1-ply, but on compa,ra,tively large areas, The
only implements used are disk harrows and fine - tooth harro,,s. Every
possiblo combination of these has been 11sed. In some cases the seed
,,as so,,n directly on the mesa, ,,ith no pTe,-ions preparation of the
s@il; in others, disking or harro,vi11g: prencled planting. In all cases
the seed. ,\·as covered by disking or ha1'!'0,ving. or by both combined.
As far a-s possible all cultural operations extended lengthwise of the
long strips, and therefore diagonally across the ,vashes. Tl1e gangs
of the disk harrow were set so as to ridge ui;i the ground as m.11ch a s
possible. 'I'his method spreads the ru11-0f of water over more land,
and the- ridged condition holds it to a gi·eater e-xtent than any other
met- hod would do.
A small grass gardP-n has been started on tbe university grounds,
in ,vhicb near, ly all of the varieties sown on the reserYation have- been
planted in small quantities. Here n1oderate irrigation is practiced.
One of the objects of this garden is to form a cl1eck upon the seeded
p1a,ts on the reservation.
O,Ying to the diversity of climatic aJ1cl soil conditions ,\-hich obtain
in southern Arizona, it has l)een thought "'ise to extend o:gerations
o,-er a greater ,•ariety of territory than ,voltld be possible i.n tl1e immedi.
ate vicinit-y of the 1:niversity-. Consequently aplan 'lvas iuaug11rated
to cooperate in the matter of rauge improvement ,,ith farmers and
ranchers 1vl10 "ere located in favorable situations. Aside f:ron;1 the
•
•
30 RANGE IMPROVEMENT IN AIZQN A.
,v9rk perfor1ne<t. directly by your agent, expe1·ime:nts are b!;lmg conducted
at eight other stations in the so11th,.ern part of the 'l'etrjtory.
In all of these cases tl1ose interested are doing the work with seed dis
ti'i°buted from the station. The names and ai;l.dresses of the ranchers
vrho a).·e perforrning e.xJ!)eriments aGcording to t,his plan ai;e as follo\vs.:
:!YI. R. vVise, Calabasa.s.
0. H. Baylis, Oracle.
I-I. C, HookeT, ,vilcox.
)fr. Prince, 'l'ttcsou.
Ozro 1-Iasl{in, Tucson.
F. O. Benedict, Tucson,
,v. M. l\ilarteuy, Arivaca.
,v-. B. lVIcCleary, 1-Ilvtia.
Operations 0n t.he ranch of Col. H. C. I-looker are a little more
extensive t.han in other instance,$. Your agent made a trip: t-0 the
ranch in tl1e latter pa.rt of Februa).·y· £or the. pu1'lose of starting the
"'ork. Six small plats, aggregating about an acre of land., were sown
to ejg·ht speGies of forage p·lants.
PR.ECIPITATION RECORD.S.
In connection ,vith the rang.e improvement experim.ents., five precipitation
re'cords are be}ng t.aken, in OTde.r to deterniin:e.to ,vhat extent
local variation in this. particula.r Qbt:tins. Obsei-vat;ions thus far conducted
poi.11t tO' som·e very inte.restiug conclusions,, bi.1t they have not
y.et bBen continued long ,enough to enl:i>tle one to generalize. The
gauges are located as fdll0ws: F@ur u1iles north of the Univ.ersity;
range reserve tract; :l\fescal; McCleary's ca1np; and 4 or 5 miles above
)fcGleary's can1p, i n the S·anta Rita Mountains. The first two are
qeing atitended to by the writer, the third b)7 Mr. J. Ribail,, -and the
ratte1· two by Mr. ,-v. B. J\-IcCleary. These, t<>gether ,vi.th tl1e record
kept on· the :university grounds, give six 1:eadings', '\Vhi:ch ,vill throw
some light on o,1r in-vestiga:tions.
. UMMARY AND SUGGESTIONS,
I
1. It being evident that tl1e present unproductiv condition of the
ritn.g<; is due i11 the grea,test ma.sure to Qverstock.ing, it i§ desirable
that son:1e fo1·1n of cQntrol of 9u,r public la.nds be devised ,v,here.by this
practice, inevital;>le undei· present conditiop,s, will be .discon.tint1e0..
How this desirable·end 1n3iJ' be 1fached does not appear 9l'eal', but it is
evide11t that la,'Vs fOT the p.i'9per contr'ol and prs'ervati.on of the ranges
are e.ssent.ial, 11ot only to the stock-gro,ving intere,sts, but also to the
genera'! ,velfa1,e @f the l'egton, that th,e. rains may be better conse.i:ved
and prevented fro1n disfiguring the surfe of tb:e country to -an· extent
absolutely beyond the conception of anyoue who has not had experience
,vftl1 these easily e1:oded Southwestern soils. The matter is of as •
much importance to the irrig.ation farri1er as to the stock1nan hinlself,
for the -gullying of river cha11nels during recent years a11d the cu-tting
•
SU)L:J\URY AND SUGGESTIONS. 31
of deep gorges in El\ery clepression, the-reb·y destroJrin.g the tillable
soils, are directly traceable to the influence of close gra,zing.
2. Jtu,t control, based on a system of land rentals which properly
recognizes the Tights of all ranchers located on the public ranges, ,vould,
it is belie,ed, meet mth popt1lar app1·0Yal and bene.ficial rest1lts.
3. The perennia,l grasses have been completel3r destroyed on large
portions of the range. 'With absolute rest tbese areas would probably
be i-e eeded in time, but it, is 0elie,,ed that much ca11 be dbne to expedite
tl1e matter by collecting seeds of na:tive perennial foTage pla,nts
in regions where they still pe.rsist and so,ving them in the 1nore favored
localities of the denuded range. As far as the experin1ents which
ha,e been conducted indicate, tl1e blue gra,ma (Boitteloua oligostachya)
and the Australian saltbush (Atriplex se1nibaccata) are the most
promising for this purpose. Brornits 1Jolycirithus 1Jawic11laiU$, "'ire
bunch grass (Agropy1·on spicatum), slender ,vheat grass (.Ag,ropyron,
tene-l'tLm), and shad scale (AtriJJlex canescens) also appear to be o f
some value for this p11rpose. It is impossible, ho,vever, to make definite
recommendations at this time.
4. It is very necessaTy to test the germjnatio11 qualities of 11ative
seeds. The grass garde11 started on the Uni ve:rsity grounds has served
a useful purpose i n this respect. The fact thl:\,t 11ative seed do not
germinate when :planted does not indicate that the species 1nay not be
a ,·alnable one for reseeding ,vorn-ou:t range past11res, foi· it often
occurs that native seed for ,,.atiot1s reasons does not germinate well.
It is s,spected tha.t some of the seed gatherd last season \val'\ not
mature. 1'his fault is often unavoidable, eit,her on account of the
methods of fruiting of the plant or on account of the collector's lack
of time to ,,ait fo1· matttrity.
5. EJ)eTiments thus far conducted in reseeding tlie ,vorn-out mesa
pastures having been begun i11 the 1nontl1 of Jantlaty, it is desirable
that Sllbsequent experiments be carried on during or just before the
summer 1·a.ins. July or No,ember will probably 1>rove to be the best
mont" hs for pl.anting i11 this locality.
6. Judging from the season of 1900, grass seed can be, most advantageo11sly
collected in the mouth of October. See,d of the native salt
bushes can b e gatbered at any tin1e from October to January.
7. On account of the excessive eTosion careful attention should be
pa.id to all cultural operations, ancl i1uplements sl1ould be dra,vn in
such a \vay tl1at tl1e rainfall may be held and spread over as 111uch
laud as possible. In other words, cultural operations ,\"bich extend
diagonally across the drainage ,yill usually prove most oeneficial.
8. Fifty-two acres of the fenced portion of the reservation are under
culti,ation. This area is divided into 60 pla.ts, upon which have been
sown abot11i 40 species of forage plants.
0
Arizona Historical Books and Periodicals Collection
