54 RAN(4E INVKSTTGATIONS IX ARIZONA. 



According- to the opinions of stockmen, it is spreading sIottIy, and 

 is said to have been first observed near Willow Springs. There is a 

 popular l)elief that it will thrive only on granitic soils. But this does 

 not account for its peculiar distribution in the Tucson region. Here, 

 as stated above, it makes a good crop in an average year on the north- 

 ern slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains; but while distributed in 

 scattering individuals all over the Santa Cruz Valley, it is never 

 abundant enough to be of any consequence. There are a few small 

 areas upon the northern slope of the Santa Ritas, where it is as thick 

 upon the ground as it is upon the northern slope of the Santa 

 Catalinas, but these areas are very limited, and therefore do not figure 

 conspicuously in the total feed production. There is a good stand of 

 it upon the east side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and it is well dis- 

 tril»uted over the San Pedro Valley as far west as the top of the Rin- 

 con Mountains on the Tanque A^erde road, but it does not extend in 

 any. quantity into the Santa Cruz Valley. 



Some systematic attempts have been made to spread the plant. 

 Messrs. Maish & Driscol some years ago sent a force of men to the 

 Canyon del Oro district to gather large quantities of it, to be scattered 

 on their Cauoa property. They raked up the plant when the seed was 

 ripening and scattered it upon their land. They have not been able 

 to observe any material benefit. Mr. C. H. Bayless believes that it 

 can be scattered most successfully by systematic herding of sheep at 

 the time that the plant is maturing its seed. His plan is to herd 

 sheep first upon land well seeded, and then upon contiguous unseeded 

 areas. It is thought by those who have observed it that it is gradu- 

 ally spreading southward, and. that it will eventually be as abundant 

 in the valley south of Tucson as it is in the Oracle and Willow Springs 

 region now. There certainly appears to be no good reason for hold- 

 inof a contrarv view. 



'•a 



ItnSCELLAXEOUS WINTER AND SPRING ANNUALS. 



Under the designation "• Indian wheat" the rancher recognizes a 

 group of important forage plants belonging to the botanical genus 

 Plantago. There are two important species, both of \\ hich make their 

 first appearance in the autumn and mature in the spring. PLnttago 

 fastig'iata occurs mainly upon the mesas and lower areas, and Plantago 

 ignota upon the foothills. The mesas in the Tucson and Phoenix 

 region are especially noted for the magnificent growths of Plantago 

 fastigiata, which, together with alfilerilla in the latter locality, feeds 

 the largest number of sheep in the Territory during the winter and 

 spring seasons. Next in importance to Indian wheat should b3 noted 

 patota {Pectocarya linearts, P. xetom^ and P. pencillafd), the first 

 being- much the most abundant, and indeed the onlv one that need be 

 considered from a forage standpoint. These plants furnish feed up to 



