an ASS AND HAY 161 



Abundance on the ranges just after the melting of the winter snows 

 that it becomes quite important as a forage plant. Wood Rush 

 (Juncoides parviflorus') A grass-like, leafy rush, quite abundant 

 on the lower mountain slopes and even above timber line in Colorado 

 and the adjoining States. Cattle and sheep eat it readily. Wood- 

 land Pea (Lathyrus venosus) A perennial woodland vetch quite 

 common in the Eastern States. Cattle are fond of the plant; it is 

 one of the most valuable of the woodland legumes. Woolly-joint 

 (Eriogonum brevicaule) A yellow-flowered perennial from the Red 

 Desert of Wyoming. Prof. Aven Nelson says that it is grazed by 

 cattle in summer in preference to other feed. There are about 200 

 species of Eriogonum, mostly Western; all have value as forage 

 plants where they occur abundantly. Wooly Plantain (Plantago 

 gnaphaloides) A low annual with rosettes of silky narrow leaves. 

 It is one of the earliest plants to start in spring, and supplies some 

 little grazing at that time. Later it gets dry, and is not eaten. It 

 is very common on the prairies west of the Mississippi River. Woolly 

 Saltbush (Enchylsena tomentosa) An erect, sprangled saltbush. 

 with hairy stems and fine leaves. This Australian saltbush has been 

 cultivated in the grass garden at Washington, D. C. Apparently a 

 good species for introduction in the Southwest. 



Xanthisma (Xanthisma texana) A virgately branching per- 

 ennial weed 1 to 3 feet high. Grows in Texas in fields and waste 

 places and in stony pastures. The yellow flowers and seed heads 

 are cropped off by cows and mules. They do not touch other parts 

 of the plant. The flow of milk is said to increase during the time 

 when this weed is in flower because of the cows eating the nutritious 

 oily seeds. 



Yam Bean (Pachyrrhizus angulatus) A perennial, leguminous 

 vine, native of Central America. The horizontal, starchy roots grow 

 to be 5 to 8 feet in length and often weigh 70 pounds. Requires a 

 rich soil. Suitable for introduction into Florida as a forage plant 

 for hogs. It is cultivated as a garden vegetable in the Philippines. 

 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) A perennial composite with simple 

 stems, twice pinnately parted leaves, and white or pink flat-topped 

 flower clusters. Common in old fields and meadows throughout the 

 Eastern United States and extending westward through the prairie 

 region. In this country it is usually considered a weed, but in 

 Europe, and especially in England, is held to be a valuable addition 

 to sheep pastures. A favorite feed for sheep in the Cascade Range, 

 found in a great variety of situations, usually in open ground. It is 

 very eagerly sought after by sheep. Yellow Clover (Tri folium 

 minus) A European annual, extensively naturalized in the Eastern 

 and Southern States in sandy fields and along roadsides. It is similar 

 to Japan clover, for which it is often mistaken. It affords a small 

 amount of forage in early summer, but its chief value is that it 

 spreads rapidly over the most barren soils, thereby preventing the 

 washing of the surface. Yellow Larkspur (Capnoides occidentalis) 

 A biennial, many stemmed herb, with finely dissected loaves and 

 numerous racemes of yellow flowers. It is one of the earliest plants 



