2 TIMEXY HINT 135 



There was considerable grass in this fenced area and the stock 

 would have been able, in all likelihood, to get along at least for a time 

 without additional feed. To be sure, the grass was dry and weathered, 

 but nevertheless grazable. The yucca forage, as will be noted later, was 

 a real addition to this kind of feed. The commonest grasses were 

 represented by galleta or cracker grass, also called tubosa grass (Hila- 

 ria mutica), false needle grass (Sclcropogon brevifolius), alkali sacaton 

 or fine-top alkali grass (Sporobolus airoides), aparejo or cushion grass 

 (Sporobolus utilis), wire grama or woolly foot (Bouteloua eriopoda), 

 hairy grama (Bouteloua hirsuta), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curti- 

 pendula), and a species of Triodia. Besides these were scattered shrubs 

 of winter fat (Eurotia lanata), chamiso or shadscale (Atriplex canes- 

 cens) and one other species of saltbush. These latter are considered 

 excellent winter and early spring browse plants. The stock were in 

 fair to good condition considering the hard winter through which they 

 had passed. The droppings of these animals indicated that they were 

 not badly constipated, though the condition of some of them could have 

 been improved. The feeding of yucca forage helps to some extent, at 

 least, to regulate the condition of the bowels. 



It is not uncommon for cattle grazing on the open range to become 

 badly bound up or constipated during the winter season. This is due 

 to the lack of succulent forage and to the large proportion of dry, 

 leached out grass and weeds along with such browse as saltbush, 

 Mormon tea (Ephedra spj, mesquite and palo verde twigs that stock 

 are driven to eat at this season. The grazing of cactus forage in 

 winter largely overcomes this condition. When eaten in quantity it 

 acts as a purgative. Excessive constipation is responsible for losses 

 of stock on the ranges far in excess of what is generally understood. 

 It is now time that this should receive attention from stockmen. Such 

 losses are often considered to be due to stock eating poison plants, when 

 in reality they result from constipation caused by the dry feed stock 

 are often forced to subsist upon. A small amount of alfalfa, oil cake, 

 cotton-seed meal, singed cactus, chopped yucca or silage fed to cattle, 

 along with what they can graze on the open range, will very much 

 improve this condition. 



Botanical information: Soapweed or palmilla (Yucca elata) belongs 

 to the subfamily Dracencae of the Lily family. It is one of eight 

 species of this group of plants in our State and it is more abundant 

 and widespread with us than any of the other species. It belongs to 

 the group of yuccas having narrow, thin leaves and dry, capsular fruits. 

 The individual plants vary much in size, according to age, soil and 

 moisture conditions. Occasional plants grow to heights of 12 feet or 

 more and are often branched above. The average plant, however, is 

 4 to 7 feet high with two to several unbranched stems from a common 

 base. The stems are clothed for their full length with a dense mass 

 or coat of leaves. They vary from 3 l / 2 to 4 l / 2 inches in diameter, exclu- 

 sive of the thick leaf bases which form a layer nearly an inch thick 

 all around. In section the stems consist of numerous stout, white 

 fibers lying in a mass of softer and somewhat succulent tissue. 



