Miscellaneous Feeding Stu/fs. 199 



for these feeds. He found the lard from peanut-fed pigs so soft 

 as to be solid only in the coldest weather, but otherwise satisfactory. 

 Finishing off on corn will largely remedy this defect. When con- 

 sideration is given to the fact that the peanut crop is easily gro^vn, 

 that pigs can harvest it, that the vines are useful for forage, and 

 that, being a legume, the plant greatly improves the soil, the pos- 

 sibilities of this plant in advancing the animal industries of the 

 South become apparent. (878-9, 900) 



IV. Plants of the Desert. 



Sagebrush, saltbush, and greasewood flourish on the plains of 

 Western America where alkali and common salt shut out many or 

 even all of the ordinary forage plants. 



292. Sagebrush. — Writing of the Red Desert of Wyoming, Nel- 

 son^ says: "The amount of sagebrush, Artemisia, spp., consumed 

 in the desert is simply amazing. . . . Whole bands (of sheep) will 

 leave all other forage and feed on sagebrush for a day or two at a 

 time. After that they will not touch it for some days, or even 

 weeks. ' ' 



293. Saltbush, Atriplex, spp. — Many species of the saltbush, both 

 annual and perennial, furnish forage to range animals on the West- 

 ern plains. The Australian saltbush, introduced into California 

 and Arizona, will under favorable conditions produce 15 to 20 tons 

 of green forage per acre, or 3 to 5 tons of dry, coarse hay which 

 has about the same digestibility as oat hay. Peacock of New South 

 Wales^ reports that sheep fed saltbush in pens lost 3 lbs. in weight 

 per head, but remained healthy during a period of a year. Others 

 getting grass, hay, and saltbush made substantial gains. Saltbush 

 mutton was dry and tough, but had a good flavor. 



294. The greasewoods, Sarcobatus, spp. — The shrubby greasewoods 

 likewise flourish on the plains and are browsed by range animals. 

 Forbes and Skinner of the Arizona Station^ report an analysis of 

 greasewood which compared favorably with alfalfa in the amount of 

 crude protein and other nutrients contained. Such forage is readily 

 eaten. 



295. Russian ihist\e,8alsola kali, var. tragus. — The introduced Rus- 

 sian thistle now grows over great areas of the plains east of the 

 Rockies. It is used to some extent for pasture and hay. The mature 



"■ IT. S. Dept.' Agr., Div. Agros., Bui. 13. ^ Ept. 1903. 



' Agr. Gaz. N. S. Wales, 1906. 



