B. P. I.-623. 



THE ORNAMENTAL VALUE OF THE SALT- 

 BUSHES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Ill many soctioiis of both the irrigated and the iionirrigated West 

 there arc locahties which are, or soon become, more or less alkahne 

 from the accumulation of an excess of soluble salts in the surface 

 soil. The cultivation of tender ornamental plants in such localities 

 becomes a diUicult matter. This is especially true of gardens and 

 lawns where the application of water is frequent and seldom suffi- 

 cient to carry any appreciable quantity of salt out of the surface 

 soil, but, on the contrary, has a tendency to condense it there. 



A decision as to the best shrubs to plant for borders and in other 

 permanent locations is often difficult to reach. Of course, certain 

 conventional trees hke the cottonwood are almost certain to thrive 

 and serve a useful purpose. The list of ornamental shrubs which 

 will withstand alkali and drought, the excessive heat of summer, 

 and 15 or more degrees of frost in winter is a comparatively small 

 one. An extension of the list of ornamentals which will grow under 

 these varying conditions is highly desirable for both farmhouse sur- 

 roundings and the town lot, for the latter is often subject to the 

 same conditions as the surrounding farms and suffers from the solu- 

 ble-salt accumulations as well as from frequent shortages of the 

 water supply. 



Certain species of saltbushes are well adapted to use in these situa- 

 tions as ornamental plants. They are especially adapted to hedge 

 and border use. The fact that one or two species are now success- 

 fully employed for ornamental purposes on the Pacific coast suggests 

 that this group of plants has a much greater application in ornamental 

 i)lantings than might at first be supposed. 



PRESENT USE OF THE SALTBUSHES AS ORNAMENTALS. 



Much has been written about the economic uses of the saltbushes, 

 but their ornamental uses seem to have been lost sight of or neglected 

 except along the Pacific coast. The city of Santa Barbara, Cal., 



[Cir. 69] 



