18 



CIRCULAR 870, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 3. — Comparison of herbage per grazable acre from swales and slopes 

 in pasture No. 2, San Joaquin Experimental Range, during four specified 



years 



Plant group 

 and species 



1943 



1944 



1945 



1948 



Swales 



Slopes 



Swales 



Slopes 



Swales 



Slopes 



Swales 



Slopes 





Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Pounds 



Grasses : 



Soft chess 



97 



825 



151 



485 



182 



531 



80 



135 



Foxtail 

 fescue 



552 



205 



499 



181 



919 



269 



760 



101 



Mediter- 



















ranean 

 barley 



2,542 



2 t 



1,621 



5 



1,683 



T 



641 



T 



Other 

 grasses 



94 



137 



69 



173 



126 



140 



36 



138 



Total 



3,285 



1,167 



2,340 



844 



2,910 



940 



1,517 



374 



Grasslike plants : 



















Toad rush.__ 



56 



T 



10 



T 



14 



T 



T 



T 



Perennial 

 rushes 



381 



T 



232 



3 



632 



T 



33 



T 



Total 



437 



T 



242 



3 



646 



T 



33 



T 



Forbs: 



















Filaree 



128 



707 



204 



421 



408 



622 



610 



877 



Clovers 



258 



64 



112 



16 



1,094 



121 



32 



23 



Other 



legumes. _ _ 



11 



82 



18 



39 



79 



158 



T 



78 



Other forbs. _ 



263 



110 



165 



87 



579 



278 



33 



27 



Total_._ 



660 



963 



499 



563 



2,160 



1,179 



675 



1,005 



All species 



4,382 



2,130 



3,081 



1,410 



5,716 



2,119 



2,225 



1,379 



1 Based on sorting and weighing of herbage clipped at 3^2-inch stubble height in 

 May on about 100 temporary, protected quadrats on swales and 100 on slopes during 

 1943-45 and 50 on each site in 1948. 



2 T = species or plant group occurred as a trace or was not found in the sample. 



merits, about one month earlier than on the steeper north slopes where 

 the soil may be frozen during the coldest weather. South slopes, however, 

 are not well adapted for grazing in late spring since the plants dry early. 

 Another means of using different kinds of land at the best time is to 

 defer the grazing of some swales until the supply of green forage on slopes 



