PLANT SUCCESSION" Al^D EANGE MANAGEMENT. : 19 



PALATABiLITY. 



The wheat grasses of the high mountain range afford a large 

 amount of fii^st-class forage for all classes of stock. However, the 

 herbage of the wheat grasses as a whole, especially after the plants 

 have reached maturity, is of only average palatability compared with 

 the finer-leaved genera of gi'asses, such as the blue grasses {Poo) 

 and fescues {Festuca ) of a lower successional stage. When green and 

 succulent the leafage is cropped rather closely by cattle, sheep, and 

 horses; but as the plants reach full growth the leafage of some of 

 the species becomes somewhat harsh. At that stage cattle and horses 

 devour the herbage less closely than when the plants are young, 

 leaving the rather coarse seed stallcs practically untouched. Sheep, 

 on the other hand, crop only a relatively small proportion of the 

 herbage of the maturing or matured plant, but in general eagerly 

 consume the seed heads of the awnless or slightly awned species. 



Like the majority of the congeneric species, small wheat grass 

 when green and tender is eaten closely by all classes of stock. As 

 the plant approaches maturity, however, the leafage becom.es rough 

 on the upper side, and only cattle and horses graze upon it to an 

 appreciable extent. The palatability of the wheat grasses through- 

 out the season being taken into account, small wheat grass affords the 

 least feed of any under discussion in proportion to the amount of dry- 

 matter produced. 



Of the bunch wheat grasses, slender wheat grass and violet wheat 

 grass compare favorably as to palatability, both being grazed closely 

 by all classes of stock. Blue bunch wheat grass is only slightly less 

 palatable. All of these species are grazed with unusual eagerness 

 by cattle, sheep, and horses early in the season. Toward the ap- 

 proach of maturity the herbage, especially of blue bunch wheat 

 grass, is consumed much less closely than early in the summer, and 

 the seed stalks of all species are left practically untouched. With 

 the exception of blue bunch wheat grass, the spike of which is con- 

 spicuously awned, the seed heads are grazed with avidity and with 

 good results to stock. 



FORAGE PRODUCTION. 



Tiie largest amount of dry matter, exclusive of the unpalatable 

 flower stalks, is produced by the small wheat-grass type. This type, 

 when permitted to develop normally, usually occupies the entire soil 

 surface. Owing to its relatively low palatability after about August 

 10, however, small wheat grass affords no more forage, season for 

 season, than good stands of the bunched wheat gi"asses. Also on 

 account of the lack of forage variety due to the practical exclusion 

 of other plants, the small wheat-grass areas are not so well adapted 

 to the gi'azing of sheep as are the bunch wheat-gi'ass areas. 



