ARBORICULTURE 



205 



The Sagebrush of the Plains. 



Artemisia tridentata. 



To everyone who has crossed the 

 plains, whether in the olden time by 

 stage coach or with team and pony, or 

 later in the modern railway train, the 

 sagebrush is a familiar object, and in- 

 variably the same opinion has been 

 formed, that it is a most worthless crea- 

 tion, having no importance in the scheme 

 of Nature. Possibly this may be an in- 

 correct impression. . 



The sagebrush covers the deserts of 

 Nevada, extends into Utah and Colorado 

 and abounds in all the plains region. 



There is absolutely no vegetation in 

 existence but to which water is essential 

 for the maintenance of life. The Arte- 

 misia is one of the plants which will 

 exist with a drink once a year, and that 

 in minute quantities, yet with greater 

 supply of moisture it doubles in size, 

 attaining a height of six or seven feet. 

 The foliage of sage being deciduous and 

 abundant, the annual deposit of leaves, 

 if not burned, will in time create a soil 

 of great fertility, in which plants of a 

 higher order may luxuriate. The roots 

 penetrate deeply in search of moisture 

 in the substrata, they open the earth for 

 the action of the elements to make a per- 

 fect soil, and when the sands of the 

 plains accumulate enough vegetable mat- 

 ter by the decay of leaves, roots and 

 twigs, it is the better enabled to with- 

 stand droughts and support a forest 

 growth. Where seeds are supplied to 

 provide shrubs of a higher character, then 

 step by step the advance is made until a 

 forest will replace the sage. 



The California dwarf buckeye, sumac, 

 yucca, and a numerous list of plants 

 suited to arid conditions may be intro- 

 duced as nurses to protect such forest 

 trees as require less moisture than 

 others. 



Arboriculture believes that all forest 

 and plant growths have an influence upon 



electric currents, winds and cloud move- 

 ments, some much more than others, but 

 all in some degree, U. S. scientists to the 

 contrary notwithstanding, and by utiliz- 

 ing the sage, with other semi-arid plants, 

 the plains country may be made produc- 

 tive in the years to come. 



The almost continuous winds of tree- 

 less regions carry the grains of sand 

 along the surface and by constantly shift- 

 ing their positions, prevent the growth of 

 grasses and the germination of seeds. 

 The sage lifts the air currents from one 

 to six feet above the surface and pre- 

 vents the sand movement, thus enabling 

 the grasses and other plants to take root 

 and furnish pasturage for stock. 



Its roots, going deeply and having a 

 . firm hold upon the soil, cannot be blown 

 out, while without this protection grasses 

 would be removed by heavy winds. 



The woody stems of the sage make a 

 hot fire where neither coal nor wood are 

 at hand. Many frontier meals have been 

 well-prepared over a sagebrush fire. 



Old plainsmen will recognize our illus- 

 tration on opposite page — the menial 

 squaw collects the fuel to keep the tepee 

 warm and prepares the meal for the no- 

 ble warrior and hunter. 



Birds are supplied with food by the 

 seeds of the sage and grasses which grow 

 under its protection, while small animals 

 are sheltered by its foilage ; both sheep 

 and cattle huddle together about the sage 

 and shrub growths seeking shelter from 

 the storms. It is difficult to conceive of 

 a more beneficent provision of Nature 

 than is found in the simple shrub 

 growths upon mountains and plains, 

 whereby the forests have a soil of 

 great fertility prepared, and seedlings 

 are protected from storms and the in- 

 cursions of animals, and are thus per- 

 mitted to increase and cover the earth 

 with verdure. 



