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Story
November 10, 1948
Laurel Outlook
Laurel, Yellowstone County, Montana
What is this article about?
Over-grazing by cattle and sheep in the western U.S. destroys valuable grasses, leading to inferior plant growth and reduced meat production, worsened by drought; yet, controlled grazing on the U.S. Forest Service's Jornada range sustains healthy livestock amid severe conditions.
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Full Text
GRAZING:
Western Problem
One of the greatest sins of the western United States has been the pasturing of too many cattle and sheep on the range-over-grazing, in other words.
Despite the apparent remoteness of the subject, it vitally concerns every housewife and every consumer who likes to eat meat, for much of the beef and lamb in the butcher shop originates in the 11 western states.
IT IS still the subject of hot debate among western stockmen and the U. S. forest service, however, whether the vast, public-owned lands are grazed too much or too little.
Yet, the evidence seems clear that when livestock or big game eat black grama grass, for example, too close to the ground it eventually dies.
Meat-producing grasses are driven out and replaced by worthless or inferior plants such as snakeweed, bitterweed, cactus, yuccas, creosotebush and the mesquites.
THIS condition is becoming more common throughout the West and Southwest. In southwest Texas, for instance, more than a million acres of good grasslands have been depleted. Drouth and over-grazing has killed the choice grama and buffalo grasses and their place has been taken by mesquite, cedar and catclaw brush and by an assortment of low-value weeds. As a result of this abuse, meat production has been slowed definitely.
Nevertheless, there is definite proof that such a situation need not exist.
ON THE Jornada experimental range, a 192,000-acre cattle ranch owned and controlled by the U. S. forest service just north of Las Cruces, N. M., the cows are plump and the calves fat despite the third year of the worst drouth in 50 years.
And on similar land outside the ranch over-grazing has all but destroyed the grama grass. Worthless snakeweed has taken control of the land.
Western Problem
One of the greatest sins of the western United States has been the pasturing of too many cattle and sheep on the range-over-grazing, in other words.
Despite the apparent remoteness of the subject, it vitally concerns every housewife and every consumer who likes to eat meat, for much of the beef and lamb in the butcher shop originates in the 11 western states.
IT IS still the subject of hot debate among western stockmen and the U. S. forest service, however, whether the vast, public-owned lands are grazed too much or too little.
Yet, the evidence seems clear that when livestock or big game eat black grama grass, for example, too close to the ground it eventually dies.
Meat-producing grasses are driven out and replaced by worthless or inferior plants such as snakeweed, bitterweed, cactus, yuccas, creosotebush and the mesquites.
THIS condition is becoming more common throughout the West and Southwest. In southwest Texas, for instance, more than a million acres of good grasslands have been depleted. Drouth and over-grazing has killed the choice grama and buffalo grasses and their place has been taken by mesquite, cedar and catclaw brush and by an assortment of low-value weeds. As a result of this abuse, meat production has been slowed definitely.
Nevertheless, there is definite proof that such a situation need not exist.
ON THE Jornada experimental range, a 192,000-acre cattle ranch owned and controlled by the U. S. forest service just north of Las Cruces, N. M., the cows are plump and the calves fat despite the third year of the worst drouth in 50 years.
And on similar land outside the ranch over-grazing has all but destroyed the grama grass. Worthless snakeweed has taken control of the land.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Disaster
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Nature
Catastrophe
What keywords are associated?
Over Grazing
Grasslands Depletion
Drought
Meat Production
Experimental Range
Cattle Ranching
Where did it happen?
Western United States, Southwest Texas, Jornada Experimental Range North Of Las Cruces, N. M.
Story Details
Location
Western United States, Southwest Texas, Jornada Experimental Range North Of Las Cruces, N. M.
Story Details
Over-grazing in the western U.S. depletes grasslands, replacing valuable grasses with inferior plants, reducing meat production, exacerbated by drought; however, proper management on the Jornada experimental range maintains healthy cattle despite severe drought.