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Show Forest Reseeding Program Proves Worth Ranger Report Shows The Forest Service believes that the figures, brought out as a result of a recent survey night be an indication of the possibilities possibili-ties of increasing livestock production pro-duction In Utah through the conversion con-version of our vast acreages of sagebrush to crested wheatgrass pastures which would furnish from 10 to 20 times as much feed for livestock as they are now producing. A report by acting Ranger Floyd C. Noel on "Comparisons of Gains on Open Range of Pine Valley C & H Allotment. Dixie National Forest" shows that in 19-18, cattle grazed on the crested crest-ed wheatgrass pasture during the summer season of four months made an average gain of 254 pounds per head. It is shown in the report that those grazed on the adjacent open range gained an average of only 150 pounds per head. With a market price of 25 cents per pound, the pastured cattle would bring an average return of $37.50 The difference of $26.00 per head Indicates the gross profit gained by grazing on the crested wheat-grass wheat-grass pasture. We have at least six million acres of sagebrush lands in Utah which have good possibilities possibili-ties for the production of crested crest-ed wheatgrass according to a report re-port from the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station of the U. S. Forest Service Ser-vice in Ogden. The pasture used for this study stu-dy is 40 acres of unirrlgated sagebrush, crested wheatgrass, lupine and a very small amount of native bluegrass and brome. The crested wheatgrass was planted in 193G in plow furrows about 10 feet apart. No attempt has ever been made to kill out any of the sagebrush. Crested wheatgrass makes up about 98 per cent of the palatable forage on the area. , . j This study was first initiated in 1941 by Ranger Irwin Johnson and has been continued each year to and including 1948. The first year, two steers were used for the study, Since then, the number of cattle used has been gradually increased to 14 heifers, hei-fers, which number was used the past three seasons. |