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wheu not crowded, forms in one season a compact subspherical 

 mass 3 feet or more in diameter. If left to mature on tlie ground 

 the slender tap-root breaks in tlie autumn and tlie plant becomes 

 a tumble-weed. After that time it bas probably little nutritive 

 value. If it is ever utilized as a forage plant it must be harvested 

 shortly before maturity. If closely grown this would not be diffi- 

 cult with ordinary machinery. It produces a great abundance of 

 seed that could be thrashed out with very little trouble. 

 Spiny Salt-sage {Atriplcx confcrti/oUa S. Wats,). — To see this spiny 

 shrub one would hardly think of it as a valuable form of forage, 

 yet sheepmen look upon it as such. They say there is no fault to 

 be found with it except that "there is not enough of it." It is popu- 

 larly known as Shad scale. It belongs peculiarly to the desert 

 region, where it is eagerly sought in late spring for its tender shoots 

 and leaves. The large quantities of leaves and fruits produced 

 during the summer months are mostly dropped before autumn, but 

 are collected by the winds into little piles under the shrub or in 

 the little hollows of the plain. These the sheep eagerly seek, so 

 that where a band of sheep has fed it is difficult to find either 

 leaves or fruit. 



(2) The Sage-Brushes {Artemisia). — The amount of sage-brush con- 

 sumed in the desert is simply amazing. Sheepmen and herders 

 say that for sheep a straight sage-brush diet at certain times seems 

 to "meet a long felt want." Whole bands will leave all other for- 

 age and browse sage brush for a day or two at a time, after which 

 they will not touch it again for some days, or even weeks. This is 

 especially true of the common sage-brush {Artemisia tridentata 

 Nutt.), while some of the other species are so much sought after at 

 all times as to need special mention. 



Bud-brush, Bud-sage {Artemisia spinescens Eaton). — This is the sheep- 

 man's "bud-brush." It grows to the height of only a few inches 

 from strong, woody, underground parts. It puts forth numerous 

 leafy stems, profusely covered with clusters of yellowish flowers. 

 The large, bud-like clusters of flowers have suggested the common 

 name. It develops early, being at its best by the end of May. It 

 is said that sheep run hastily from clump to clump in search of 

 this succulent morsel. 



Silvery-sage {Artemisia cana Pursh). — This in quality probably does 

 not differ materially from the common sagebrush, but, in propor 

 tion to area occupied, it produces much more forage. It is found 

 chiefly in the alluvial soil on the banks of streams. Its forage 

 value is due to the production each year of a very large number of 

 long, slender, tender shoots, which are eaten at intervals, as before 

 stated. 



(3) Wheat-Grasses { A gropi/roti).— For quality these grasses would 

 take first place in the desert forage, but the amount is quite limited. 



