15801. Blessings of Grass (20:33)
- Date:
- 1940
- Main contributors:
- United States. Department of Agriculture, United States. Department of Agriculture. Forest Service
- Summary:
- Introduced as "the story of cattle grazing in the national forest," the film depicts cooperation between the Forest Service and local ranchers to manage the grazing of herds on public land. Original USDA catalog entry states: "Range management in the western national forests. Shows how to perpetuate grazing lands by protecting them from overuse by livestock and thus insure the income of ranchers and communities dependent on the livestock and grazing industry for a living" (Motion Pictures of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1945, 41). Depicts rounding up, branding and inoculating cattle in preparation for driving from private range land to National Forest. Shows duties of Forest Rangers, including monitoring fences and health of grasses. Cutting, raking and stacking of hay using mostly horse-drawn implements is shown. Concludes by showing that U.S. Forest Service range management has helped western "cow towns" to prosper and grow.