65 



ago the writer observed both cattle and horses eating considerable 

 quantities of the former withuut any apparent ill eftect, but the latter 

 is so bitter and strong-scented that it would hardly seem possible that 

 stock would eat much of it. 



RUSHES AND SEDGES. 



These grass-like plants play no small part in the forage supply and 

 are of much more importance than is generally understood. There are 

 almost as many kinds of rushes and sedges native to this region as 

 there are grasses, and all are eaten by stock to a greater or less extent. 

 Comparatively few kinds grow on the dry prairies and hills, most of 

 them occurring in low prairies, meadows, and bogs. Sometimes the 

 greater part of the hay obtained from wet, boggy meadows is made up 

 of these plants. They are particularly abundant in some of the moun- 

 tain meadows, frequently, especially early in the season, occupying 

 the land almost to the exclusion of the grasses. 



RUSHKS. 



There are at least six of the bulrushes that deserve mention as for- 

 age plants. These are meadow bulrush [i^cirpus atrovirens), salt-marsh 

 bulrush (*S'. robiistus), river bulrush {S. Jiuriatilis), small-fruited bul- 

 rush (*S'. microcar^jus), prairie bulrush {S. campestris), and alkali or 

 chair-makeis' bulrush {S. americanus). The best of these, though not 

 neces.^arily the most abundant, are river bulrush, meadow bulrush, and 

 salt-marsh bulrush. Alkali or chair-makers' bulrush (the former name 

 is most used in this region) is one of the most abundant species, and, as 

 its common name indicates, occurs on alkali flats along streams and 

 elsewhere in moist soil contajning large quantities of alkali. It is 

 tough and wiry, but is often eaten by stock when better forage is scant. 



Of the spike rushes, common spike-rush {Eleocharis palustris) and 

 flat-stemmed spike-rush {E. acuminata) are the most important. Id 

 wet meadows, particularly those that are overirrigated, these rushes 

 are very abundant, sometimes forming the larger part of the vegeta- 

 tion. Some of the larger forms of common spike-rush yield a large 

 amount of hay, but the quality is much inferior to that obtained from 

 the grasses. 



There are d dozen or more of the bog rushes found in the eastern 

 Eocky Mountain region. All are tough and wiry and afford an inferior 

 quality of forage, but a number of them are sufficiently abundant to 

 form a large part of the vegetation in some of the native meadows. 

 The species most frequently found are slender bog rush {Jiincus tennis), 

 Torrey's bog rush {J. torreyi), Baltic bog rush {J. haltici(s), knotted bog 

 rush {J. nodosus), Xevada bog rush {J. nevadenHs), and mountain bog 

 rush {J. xiphioides montanus). 

 20013— No. 12 5 



