The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968 Page: 44
686 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
The drought of 1886 and the die-up of 1887 convinced many ranch
owners that there was something wrong with the range. Some peti-
tioned the Department of Agriculture for help. As a result of their
pleas, George Vasey, department biologist became interested in the
western ranges and made plant collections throughout the west."
When the rains came, the livestock men released the pressure on the
Agriculture Department for research work and, other than periodic
plant collecting expeditions, no range research was conducted in the
West.
After the die-up in 1894, cattlemen again began to agitate for help
from government scientists. In 1896 the Division of Agrostology sent
some two thousand letters to West Texas cattlemen asking about range
conditions." Over one thousand replies were returned. In May, 1896,
Assistant Agrostologist J. G. Smith was sent to Texas to gather first-
hand information."
The following year, Professor C. C. Georgeson was sent to organize
a series of range experiments." One station was located at Abilene to
serve Central and West Texas and one at Channing to serve the Texas
Panhandle, Western Kansas and Oklahoma, Eastern Colorado and
New Mexico."'
Bentley was hired as a special agent to conduct range improvement
experiments in Texas."' He worked for three years and published
several bulletins showing the fallacy of overstocking and pointing out
methods of range improvement.
Although reports written by Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson
indicate that Bentley's work was well received and merited additional
funds for support," Bentley himself did not concur. In his bulletin
dated 1898, he stated that there was a widespread lack of interest in
his work among ranchers. He described a meeting of stockmen:
At a meeting of stockmen recently held those present were questioned
about the native grasses growing on their respective ranges. One of
"IF. Lamson-Scribner, "Progress of Economic and Scientific Agrostology," United States
Department of Agriculture Yearbook, 1899 (Washington, 1899), 349.
"Wilson, Report of the Secretary of Agriculture, z897, p. 38.
"4Ibid., 162.
"8James Wilson, Report of the Secretary of Agriculture, 1898 (Washington, 1898), 147-
148.
"Ibid.
47James Wilson, "Report of the Secretary," United States Department of Agriculture
Yearbook, 9oz (Washington, 1901), 30.
"Ibid.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968, periodical, 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117145/m1/62/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.