SEEDING TESTS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA 41 



The stand gradually died out, however, when irrigation was 

 discontinued. Other species gave practically the same results. 

 Thornber reports : 



No introduced forage plants, including species from cool, moist climates 

 and the higher elevations, made any growth on the small range enclosure, 

 and but few of them persisted in the forage garden for any considerable length 

 of time. Both the native and Australian saltbushes failed repeatedly to 

 secure a hold or make any growth of extended duration, though they were 

 planted on land occasionally flooded with storm water. 



Wooton's reseeding studies on the Santa Rita Range Re- 

 serve near Tucson, Arizona, substantiated the findings of 

 Griffiths and Thornber, for practically all attempts to intro- 

 duce forage plants gave negative results. In a few tests it was 

 found that introduced plants like alfilaria and certain other 

 aggressive annuals gave temporary promise of fair returns, but 

 in a few years they were crowded out by the native vegetation. 



Seeding Tests in Northern Arizona. — Pearson/ between 

 1909 and 1 9 13, conducted a series of range reseeding experi- 

 ments at the Fort Valley Forest Experiment Station near 

 Flagstaff, Arizona. The plants tested were Hungarian brome- 

 grass, Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, Italian ryegrass, red- 

 top, timothy, and the more drought-enduring varieties of al- 

 falfa. 



In some of the experiments the ground was thoroughly har- 

 rowed before sowing, the seed being scattered broadcast and 

 covered by means of a brush drag. On other plots the ground 

 was harrowed and the seed broadcasted but not covered. In 

 stiU other tests the seed was sown on unprepared ground and 

 left uncovered. The experimental plots were fenced against 

 stock. 



The area seeded was an open park in the yellow pine type, 

 lying at an elevation of about 7,300 feet. The soil was a deep 

 sandy to clayey loam. An adequate amount of fertile seed was 

 used. Pearson's conclusions follow. 



^ Pearson, G. A., "Studies in Artificial Reseeding: Introduction of Forage 

 Plants." U. S. Dept. of Agr., Review of Forest Service Investigations, Vol. 2, 

 pp. 9-13, 1913. 



