FORAGE PLANTS F()K ALKALI SOILS. 57 



are iriven a chance to ptow freely. The breakino- of the soil also oives 

 a chance for the storm waters to ))e al^sorbe.!, instead of rapidly run- 

 ning away over the hard surface of the soil. That these methods are 

 feasible and very successful has been thoroug-hl}' demonstrated by the 

 work of the Division in Texas. In cases where the native grasses have 

 been largely destroyed, in addition to the disking it will be best to sow 

 seed of the native grasses on the disked areas. These can frequently 

 be secured b}^ collecting them from protected places, where the grasses 

 have l>een allowed to produce seed. Along the right of way of rail- 

 roads the native grasses frequently grow luxuriantly, and produce an 

 abundance of seed. We ])elieve it will not be long, however, l)efore 

 seed of the more important of our native grasses will be collected or 

 grown in commercial quantities and be obtaina])le on the market. 



FORAGE PLANTS FOR ALKALI SOILS. 



A great deal of attention has been given to the question of grasses 

 and foi-age plants adapted to growth on alkali soils. There are very 

 extensive areas throughout the West over which tlie soil is so impreg- 

 nated with mineral salts, especially those of sodium and magnesium, 

 that the majority of cultivated forage plants can not be grown. There 

 are, however, a considerable numlier of native forage plants which 

 have become adapted to the alkali soils and are able to grow upon 

 them. Investigations along this line have shown that some of these 

 native plants are of sufficient importance as forage plants to justify 

 attempts toward introducing them into cultivation. This is particu- 

 larlj^ true of a number of the native saltbushes which are able to grow" 

 in soils containing large percentages of alkali and also to withstand 

 excessive drought. Consideral^le ([uantities of seed of eight different 

 species of native saltljushes were secured the past season and ])esides 

 being grown on the experimental grounds at Washington they have 

 been distril)uted to the experiment stations of the West for cultivation 

 and trial. These plants are particularh" valuable for sheep grazing. 

 They are also relished by other stock and furnish a large amount 

 of food at times when no other is available. Several other species 

 of saltbush which are native of the alkali regions of the interior of 

 Australia have also been introduced and grown on the alkali lands of 

 the West and Southwest. The Division has distri1)uted considerable 

 quantities of seed of these saltbushes, especially the Australian saltbush 

 {AtriphKr semihaccata). This has })een experimented with sufficiently 

 to demonstrate its adaptabilit}" to cultivation in the warmer portions 

 of the West and Southwest. Winter fat {E^irotni lanata) is another 

 valuable forage plant which flourishes in alkali soils from Montana to 

 Arizona. A number of grasses of consideral)le value also grow upon 

 these alkali soils. Those which grow where the greatest amount of 

 alkali is present are, however, not palatable to stock and are eaten 



