ORNAMENTAL VALUE OF SALTBUSHES. 5 



wlien properly pruned compensates in a large measure for the brit- 

 tleness of the wood by giving it a solidity of appearance. Its gray 

 color might at times be undesirable, but in many surroundings it 

 is a decided advantage. 



PROPAGATION. 



Atriplex hreweri at Santa Barbara is invariably grown from cut- 

 tings, hardened wood of not too great age being employed for the 

 purpose. If cuttings are planted in midsummer the early wood 

 of the current season's growth is preferred. If planted in the spring, 

 well-matured growth of the previous season is used. The most 

 common practice is to use rather large cuttings, a foot or more in 

 length. These are preferably rooted in sand in the nursery, but not 

 necessarily so. They are often set permanently in the hedge row. 

 If planted early in the season in this climate they require the mini- 

 mum of attention. If set in midsummer, how^ever, although rooting 

 readily they do better if shaded a little, and they must, of course, be 

 irrigated. 



Although the species could doubtless be grown from seed, that is 

 a much slower method and one apparently never resorted to in 

 California, the growth from cuttings being quick and certain. A 

 good-sized hedge can be grown the first season from cuttings if they 

 are set in the early spring. 



SPECIES OF SALTBUSHES. 



The botanical genus Atriplex, to which the saltbushes belong, is a 

 large one, but only a few of the species are suitable for the purpose 

 discussed here. One, Atriplex hreweri, and possibly one or two Old- 

 World species are now being used. They are suited to coastal condi- 

 tions and probably have a much widesr range of adaptability than is 

 now being made use of. 



The most common native species of saltbush in this country is the 

 shad scale (Atriplex canescens), wdiich grows throughout the Great 

 Plains, the Rocky Mountain, and the Interior Basin regions from the 

 British to the Mexican borders. Its habit and rapidity of growth 

 suggest its possible use for hedges, like A. hreweri. 



Atriplex torreyi of Nevada and A. lentiformis of southern Arizona 

 and southeastern California are rank and rapid growers wdiich shape 

 and prune well. They have habits similar to A. hreweri. Atriplex 

 lentiformis is known to grow readily from cuttings, and it is probable 

 that most of the shrubby species of the genus can be projiagated in 

 the same way that A. hreweri is propagated at Santa Barbara at the 

 present time. 



[Cir. 69] 



