20 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



These qualities should produce a feed superior to oat hay. This is not 

 the case, however, for stock avoid it to a great extent on account of the 

 resins and waxes in the dense tomentum covering the leaves. Those 

 waxes and resins serve as a protection against drying winds and severe 

 weather, and all the oaks have more or less of them. 



As compared with the crude fiber and resins, tannin of oak leaves, as 

 before stated, is not only bitter and astringent, but interferes with 

 digestion. 



Conclusion. In summing up the value of the forage oaks, from chemi- 

 cal analyses and observations in the field, the conclusion is reached that 

 the facts observed in the field coincide in most cases with those deter- 

 mined by analysis. For instance, the deciduous oaks possess a higher 

 nutritive value than the live oaks and are, as would be expected, more 

 readily eaten by houses, cattle, sheep, and goats. In some cases, how- 

 ever, certain physical conditions modify these relations. This is true 

 in the case of the live oaks. These contain a sufficiently high proportion 

 of nutrients, and yet only sheep and goats thrive upon them. This is 

 due to the thick, harsh leaves with their spinescent teeth, which prevent 

 horses and cattle from relishing them. 



Pasturing Oaks. Although all stock prefer the deciduous oaks of the 

 higher altitudes, yet indiscriminate pasturing causes much damage to 

 the forests and ground-cover. When sheep and goats are allowed to 

 browse on the deciduous oaks of the timbered area, they kill the seedling 

 conifers by nibbling and trampling, kill the shrubs by over-browsing, 

 and cut up the slopes in trails which become deep gullies during the 

 rainy season. This could be avoided by pasturing the sheep and goats 

 on the " live oaks" of the lower chaparral or brush areas, the only neces- 

 sary precaution being to prevent too many congregating in one place, 

 thus avoiding too much trampling and gullying. 



Since cattle and horses are unable to thrive on the live oaks, and 

 since they do not browse close enough to kill shrubs, never browse on 

 young conifers, nor cut up slopes by trails, they may profitably be pas- 

 tured on the timbered areas and on the higher altitudes. 



Thus, this oak area, comprising half the whole State, can, by a con- 

 servative and well-regulated system of browsing, be made to pasture 

 sheep and goats throughout the year, and all stock during the summer 

 months; and also during seasons of drought or when winter conditions 

 make other feed inaccessible. 



