212 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



seeds, which are used for both stock and human food. The herbage is 

 unfit for stock because of a poisonous principle. The fenugreek (Trigo- 

 nella fcenum-grcecum) is grown principally for its seeds, which have medici- 

 nal properties and the plants are used as a green manure for orchards. 



Additional Leguminous Forage Plants. In addition to the above the 

 following leguminous forage plants are noteworthy: shaftal (Trifolium 

 suaveoleus) berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) , yellow trefoil (Medicago 

 lupulina), Dakota vetch (Hosackia americana), chickling vetch (Lathyrus 

 salivas'), bird vetch (Vicia cracca), square pod pea (Lathyrus tetragono- 

 lobus), Florida beggar- weed (Desmodinm tortuosum), bonavist, or hya- 

 cinth bean (Dolichos lablab), guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), kudzu 

 (Pueraria thunbergiana); kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), sulla 

 (Hedysarum t,oronarium) , goat's rue (Galega offitinalis), bird's foot trefoil 

 (Lotus cornitulatus) , furze (Ulex europaus). 



MISCELLANEOUS FORAGE PLANTS 



There is a considerable number of forage plants other than the 

 grasses and leguminous species used as food for cattle. They are used 

 incidentally, as occasional, or additional forage plants, or as emergency 

 feeds in the absence, or scarcity, of the leguminous and graminaceous 

 species, which alone are worth cultivating. Some of these miscellaneous 

 herbs used as forage are here enumerated. 



Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.). A variety of the fleshy, spiny cacti 

 all natives of the arid regions of the West are used as forage. The practice 

 has been to burn off the spines, as they are injurious and to feed the fleshy 

 joints to stock. Recently an attempt has been made by Burbank and 

 other plant breeders to select and propagate in field culture a spineless 

 cactus, so as to overcome the objectionable spines in the unselected kinds. 

 Prickly pears are readily eaten by cattle, hogs, sheep and goats. 



Australian Saltbush (Atriplex semibaccata) . This plant from the 

 alkali lands of Australia has been introduced into the United States as 

 a forage for sheep. 



It has become naturalized in California, but in general, it has proved 

 disappointing in this country. 



Sachalin (Polygonum saohalinense). This tall, rapidly growing 

 plant was introduced from the Island of Saghalin about 1893, as a forage 

 plant. It produces an abundance of herbage, readily eaten by cattle, but 



