FIRST OR EARLY WEED STAGE II5 



Forage Production. — Considerably less forage, generally of 

 an inferior type, is produced on lands in the late weed stage than 

 on the wheatgrass or the porcupinegrass-yellowbrush covers. 

 This is due chiefly to the large number of true (unpalatable) 

 pasture weeds, the presence of poisonous plants, and the small 

 amount of grass forage. Because sheep graze broad-leaved 

 herbs more eagerly than do cattle and horses, the foxglove-yarrow- 

 sweet sage type is most economically utilized by the grazing of 

 sheep alone.^ The gains sheep make on this type, however, are 

 distinctly less than the gains produced on either of the higher 

 types discussed. Cattle and horses do poorly on this weed type, 

 and as a rule fail to maintain their weight. 



FIRST OR EARLY WEED STAGE 



Soils that contain little humus, or have been subject to heavy 

 leaching, or are firmly packed, support virtually the same tj^e 

 of vegetation as badly eroded areas. The cover consists largely 

 of nonpalatable annual weeds. This type is in evidence until 

 enough organic matter has accumulated in the soil to favor the 

 establishment of the second or late weed stage. Some of the 

 more characteristic plants of the first weed stage are lamb's- 

 quarters {Cheno podium alhum) , slender-leaved collomia (Collomia 

 linearis), tansy mustard (Sophia incisa), Douglas knotweed 

 (Polygonum Douglasii), and Tolmie's orthocarpus (Orthocarpus 

 Tolmiei) (Fig. t,^). These plants complete their cycle of growth 

 in about six weeks after the sprouting of the seed. The seed is 

 then disseminated and the cover dries up and disappears. The 

 seed habits are invariably strong. 



Forage Production. — Only a small amount of forage, and that 

 of an inferior quality, is produced by plants of the first weed type. 

 Although a considerable number of species are grazed in a 

 limited way by sheep and goats, very few being palatable to 

 cattle and horses, the type as a whole is well-nigh negligible as 

 forage. Furthermore, this type must be grazed early in the 

 season when the plants are young and succulent, for it is not 



1 Sampson, Arthur W., "Bringing Back Overgrazed Range." Nat'l Wool 

 Grower, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 11, 12, April, 1920. 



