ARTIFICIAL RESEEDING. 13 



nished more than one hundred varieties for testing. In some cases 

 the seed was covered and in others scattered without any further 

 attention. The plan has been, whenever the quantity of seed per- 

 mitted, to sow one-half in the fall and one-half in the early summer. 

 In some cases the ground was worked up sufficiently to kill about half 

 of the original vegetation. 



The net economic result of all this foreign introduction has been 

 practically nil. It is not necessary to go into details regarding these 

 plantings, even to the extent of publishing a list of the seeds planted. 

 Most of the species, in our experience, have never come up, and the 

 few things that did make any growth usually died before seed was 

 produced. 



In 1906 large quantities of wild oats (Avena fatua and A. barbata) 

 were planted in June. Germination was very good, and by the 1st 

 of January, 1907, the plats were promising, but the plants soon 

 dried up, never getting over about 2 inches high. The seed did not 

 germinate until the winter rains set in. The previous } r ear seed of 

 bur clover (Medicago denticulata) from California was sown in large 

 quantity and well covered. It started beautifully, but? dried up and 

 died in April when about 2 inches high, with no seed production. 



Tucolote (Bromus maximus) matured a few plants from one of the 

 several seedings made, but seems to have disappeared entirely. This 

 is one of the most aggressive species upon the California ranges. It 

 might not be a detriment here, for it is a winter annual, and therefore 

 would come in competition with only weedy spring plants and would 

 probably have no effect on the crop of forage which comes in summer. 



Results in reseeding, so far as these experiments have progressed, 

 can be secured much more satisfactorily by the use of seed of native 

 forage plants than by the use of the seed of plants from foreign 

 countries. But even with these the results are not commensurate 

 with the expense of getting the seed and growing it. Much more 

 satisfactory results have thus far been obtained by husbanding the 

 native vegetation and grazing well within the capacity of the land 

 to maintain stock. In short, so far as information gained from 

 experiments thus far conducted is concerned, these lands, although 

 very badly overgrazed, will return approximately to their original 

 productivity under complete protection in about three* average }^ears. 

 Complete protection, however, is not necessary, though of course it 

 will take longer to restore lands to their full productivity when 

 grazing is practiced. 



These remarks apply only to the plants already tried, the majority 

 of which had some claim to succeeding in dry situations. It is not 

 impossible that some foreign plants may yet be found which will 

 succeed here, and all which have any chance of success should be 

 tried. But meantime proper handling of the native vegetation is 



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