150 GENUS ARTEMISIA. 



USES. 



The common sagebrush or "black sage," as it is often erroneously called, is by far the 

 most important species of Artemisia in western North America as regards its value as a 

 browse shrub. This is largely because of its abundance over large areas and its ability 

 to withstand close cropping, even by sheep. It is of special value in the autumn and 

 winter when grass and other pasturage is dried up or covered with snow. At other 

 seasons it is much less browsed by free-ranging animals. The testimony of range experts 

 varies as to its exact value for different kinds of stock. This is because of the greater 

 need in some places of browse shrubs, even less palatable ones like this, and also because 

 certain breeds of animals are more fastidious than others of the same species. Hence, 

 reports range from "eaten by sheep but not by starving cattle" to "good browse for 

 cattle and sheep" and "excellent." Direct observation by the authors shows that sage- 

 brush is not much eaten by horses, but that it enables stockmen to carry enormous num- 

 bers of cattle through the winter months, and that it is the principal dependence of 

 sheep in many districts during periods of drought and in the winter. A chemical analysis 

 of the plant is given by Dinsmore and Kennedy (Nevada Exp. Sta. Bull. 62:38, 1906). 

 The close cropping by animals markedly affects the branching, size, and general appear- 

 ance of the shrubs. Sometimes this results in all of the plants being much dwarfed and 

 it is now infrequent to find the large, normally formed, tree-like growths that must have 

 been the usual type before stock was introduced. 



The Indians, and also many of the white settlers, find much use for sagebrush in the 

 construction of shelters and for fuel. The stems are usually too irregular and brittle to 

 serve well for construction, although sometimes so used, but the branches are employed 

 as thatch in the building of temporary houses and sheds. The wood makes a quick, hot 

 fire, partly because of the oil and partly because of the dry shredded bark. 



This shrub has been cultivated as an ornamental since 1881, but apparently it has not 

 found much favor. It is especially suited to dry or stony situations, and its value lies 

 chiefly in the clean gray foliage. The larger forms, with expanded drooping inflores- 

 cences, such as mentioned under minor variation 14, would be the most desirable for this 

 purpose. 



Attempts have been made in the West to utilize sagebrush for its rather high content 

 of potash, but the cost of preparation was found to be prohibitive. It has also been used 

 to a limited extent for a flotation oil in mining and smelting operations, but again its cost 

 was found to be greater than that of other oils equally useful. Less complex substances 

 are now more in demand for this purpose. The report that sagebrush contains rubber is 

 entirely erroneous. 



A common malady in the West, known as mountain fever, but in reality only a form 

 of hay-fever, has been demonstrated to be due in many cases to the pollen of Artemisia 

 tridentata. This pollen is produced in great abundance and is so light that it is easily 

 carried in enormous quantities by the wind. Its saline extract is now used as a preven- 

 tive for hay-fever after the manner described under A. vulgaris (p. 100). 



26. ARTEMISIA CANA Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 521, 1814. Plate 21. Hoary Sagebrush. 



A low shrub, commonly 4 to 9 but sometimes 15 dm. high, with pungent turpentine- 

 like odor; stems freely branched throughout, forming rounded bushes, the older parts 

 with a dark-brown fibrous bark, the branches densely clothed with a gray or yellowish- 

 green tomentum which masks the striae; principal leaves sessile, linear, acute, 2 to 4 or 

 5 cm. long, 1 to 4 mm. wide, entire or occasionally with 1 or 2 irregular teeth or lobes, 

 silky-canescent or floccose or sometimes glabrate and slightly viscid in age ; upper leaves 

 scarcely different and only slightly reduced even to midway of the inflorescence, silky- 

 pubescent; inflorescence a narrow leafy panicle, 15 to 30 cm. long, 2 to 6 cm. broad; 



