946 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES. 





a population of over 4,000,000 people and double the present live stoc 

 of the Territory. 



ARIZONA RANGE GRASSES. 



From Bulletin ]STo. 2 of the Agricultural Experiment Station, whic 

 was issued last September, I extract the following notes on some of th 

 range grasses: 



The country embraced in what is known as the "Great American Basin," in whic 

 the whole of Arizona is included, has a vegetation in most respects entirely diffe 

 ent than elsewhere in the United States. The soft and succulent grasses of tl 

 Eastern and Central States have given place to a great variety of grasses, most) 

 with short, rigid leaves and hard stems or culms. Experiment has already demoi 

 strated that the lack of moisture makes it impossible for the Eastern grasses to sui 

 ceed here, hence it is to our native grasses we will have to look in the developmei 

 of grasses in this Territory. 



It yet remains to be determined which of these grasses will be of greatest vain 

 under cultivation, or will succeed with the least amount of water. Although 

 large number of our native grasses are hard and rigid as a rule, they are eagerl 

 eaten by horses and cattle, and many of them contain much more nutritive matte 

 than the more succulent grasses of the East. 



The physical conditions of Arizona are such that only comparatively a small pe 

 cent of her lands under present conditions can be brought under cultivation. Mnc 

 of the remainder is valuable grazing land, but still there are areas which, from thei 

 lack of accessible watering places for stock, are of little value except for their mil 

 eral deposits. 



Of the vast region supporting thousands of head of horses, cattle, and sheep, tl 

 better part of the grass forage consists of less than a dozen indigenous species. J 

 is true that during a large part of the year the cattle pick about, in many place 

 feeding mostly upon the foliage of shrubs, only getting a dainty bit of grass hei 

 and there; but it is the few species of grass that spring into rapid growth after tl 

 late summer rains, and cover the mesa for miles about, that the stockmen depen 

 upon to put their stock in fit condition for the Kansas and California market. Tl) 

 meager rains during the past summer have done much to shorten the fall feed, an 

 in general throughout the Territory the feed is much more scant than is usual a 

 this season of the year. 



A large number of species grow along rivers and creeks, in the close vicinity of th 

 tanks and springs and in other moist places. These grasses, although of grea 

 variety, are with the exception of DisticJilis maritima, an almost worthless forag 

 grass, and a few others only found in isolated bunches. In fact, nowhere iu Ar; 

 zona do we find a continuous natural sod. 



Altogether these grasses furnish but a small part of the forage of the range, a 

 they only grow in the vicinity of water, where their roots evidently reach moistni 

 throughout the year. Many of them are excellent forage plants so far as they g< 

 but they cover a very small per cent of the entire range. Ordinarily they are kep 

 cropped short by stock as they congregate about the watering places to drink. 



The second class, and by far the most important, are the grasses that find a fool 

 hold on the mesas, along the sides of mountains and in valleys. Covering large area 

 they furnish the greater part of the grass forage of the Territory. These grasses ar 

 of but a few species and include the grasses known among stockmen as "mesquite, 

 "gramma," and "saccato." Many of these grasses have hard and wiry leaves an 

 culms, but are very nutritious and are generally well liked by stock. They groi 

 rapidly after the summer rains, furnishing fine forage for the fall and winter month* 



The boutelouas, generally known as "gramma grass," are the most important c 

 the proper range grasses of Arizona. A number of species of this Southwester 

 genus can be found on nearly every range in the Territory. 



