16 FORAGE CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS. 



and the comparative inaccessibility of the region have all contributed 

 to its protection in the past. It is essentially a summer range, and all 

 stock wintered here must be fed for much longer periods than in the 

 warmer and drier regions to the southward. Up to a year ago sum- 

 mer grazing had been practically confined to stock owned by actual 

 settlers, who have not been able thus far to raise sufficient winter feed 

 to support enough cattle to overstock the summer pastures. Doubt- 

 less a very important factor in the preservation of the range has been 

 the persistency with which the settlers have prevented sheep from 

 entering the territory. The development of the river bottoms into 

 meadows which will furnish large quantities of hay and the advent of 

 large numbers of sheep during the past summer will no doubt change 

 the appearance of the native pastures very materially in the next few 

 years. 



The main forage plants on the ranges in the Okanogan region do 

 not differ materially from those to the southward in the Big Bend 

 except in the relative quantity of feed produced by the different 

 species. The rolling hills are covered with a luxuriant growth of 

 sheep fescue {Festuca ovina), bunch wheat grass {Agropyron spicaturn), 

 Wheeler's bluegrass {Poa wheeled), and Sandberg's bluegrass {Poa 

 sandbergii) on the more rocky and gravelly soil. Nevada bluegrass 

 {Poa nevadensis) and prairie June grass {Koeleria cristata) are also 

 important factors everywhere above the river bottoms, while giant 

 rye grass (Elymus condensatus) occurs in large patches along the sides 

 of depressions on broad, level upland areas, as well as on the edges of 

 the more moist lands along the river bottoms. Along ravines and 

 sandy creeks and river bottoms, bunch wheat grass and giant rye grass 

 are prominent in the lower altitudes, but the bulk of the forage is 

 made up of the needle grasses {Stipa williamsii and S. columbiana), 

 with the introduced weedy brome grasses (Br<>mns tectorum) and chess 

 {Broinus secalirms) in the lower draws and benches, where the native 

 grasses have been injured by the trampling of stock on their way to 

 and from feeding grounds and water. On all of the lower sandy 

 benches just above the river bottoms, especially those of the Okano- 

 gan and Columbia rivers, the feed is naturally poor, as would be 

 inferred from the presence of the needle grasses and the bromes pre- 

 viously mentioned. Occasionally the stiffer soils are found on these 

 benches, and bunch wheat grass {Agropyron spicaturn) is always found 

 in such situations, adding very materially to the feed; but in general 

 these benches are taken up by species of rather inferior quality. Here 

 also are found large areas of plantain {Plantagopurshii), which closely 

 resembles the Indian wheat {P. fastigiata) of the Southwest, but is of 

 much, less value, probably owing to the fact that feed is more plenti- 

 ful here and stock are not forced to subsist upon it. Two other 



