MEADOWS AND HAY CEOPS. 27 



in the vicinity of Rye Patch. This, together with saltbush (Atriplex 

 confertifolia), hud sage, hop sage, and red sage, constituted the main 

 browse, while the grass feed is produced mainly by Indian millet 

 ( Oryzopsis cuspidata) on the lower sandy areas and Buckley's bluegrass 

 \Poa buckleyana), Wheeler's bluegrass (Poa wheeleri), and a little 

 sheep fescue on the higher areas. Very little of the latter was seen 

 in this vicinity, but it was very abundant in the pine forest mountains 

 to the northeast of here last year. 



The condition of the feed now as compared with former times is 

 very difficult to estimate. There has been so little attention paid to 

 the purely winter grazing grounds that there are but few data regard- 

 ing them. Water is so scarce here that pasturing is possible only 

 when there is a heavy fall of snow, and the character of the vegetation 

 is such that it is of but little value except for winter feed. Conse- 

 quently the thousands of sheep which winter in the region live on 

 browse of the desert during the winter months. If the snowfall is 

 copious they are able to get down to the mesa, but during dry winters 

 they feed around the summits of the mountains, within traveling dis- 

 tance of snow, which is often their only source of water for several 

 months of the year. It is to be understood, of course, that many 

 flocks of sheep congregate around such places as Lovelock and Carson 

 Sink for the purpose of obtaining hay for a portion of their winter 

 ration, and thousands are driven here to be fattened for the markets. 

 Consequently this desert, which to the ordinary observer has neither 

 feed nor water, is of great importance, for it supplies feed of a coarse 

 kind upon which thousands of sheep pass several months without other 

 expense than herding. As stated in last year's report, there is need 

 of close study of these ranges in the winter season, something which 

 has not yet been attempted. 



Although the feed is mainly browse, there occurs somewhat of a 

 change of ration between late fall and spring. The white sage, red 

 sage, hop sage, and saltbush are mainly of value as early winter for- 

 age, while the bud sage becomes valuable in late winter, when the hud- 

 like twigs begin to develop, the young leaves and tender shoots being 

 relished by all stock. At this season there are also many winter 

 annuals, which are eaten by sheep especially. 



MEADOWS AND HAY CROPS. 



The main cultivated crops throughout the region described are four 

 in number -alfalfa, timothy, redtop, and grain. Throughout the 

 entire region alfalfa is the main irrigated crop, especially in the lower 

 areas, while along the higher courses of streams in poorly drained 

 areas timothy and redtop are extensively grown, drain for hay is 

 the common and prevalent crop in the wheat areas. In the North 



