FEED OX THE RANGE. 19 



species. So much has been written regarding the forage value of this 

 plant that but little need be said in this place. In this region it forms 

 much of the feed during the hard times, not only in spring and early 

 summer while it is succulent and green, but also in the winter, when 

 it would be ordinarily considered worthless. During the i^ast winter, 

 when the pastures along the Santa Crtiz were very short, not only the 

 pods but the leaves of this tree as well were eaten by cattle. Xumer- 

 ous instances were observed where the leaves as they fell from tlie 

 trees were completely cleaned u^) in large areas in the thick mesquit 

 groves of the region. 



Besides the mesciuit there are several species of Acacia which are 

 browsed to some extent. The leaves of these are also eaten after thej' 

 have fallen in much the same manner as the mesquit during times of 

 short feed. Many species of Lupines, Horsachias, and Astragalus 

 abound and furnisli a large part of the feed on the moister mesas 

 and foothills for a short time in the spring. Astragalus nuitallii, 

 which is the common species in the moister mesa region, is worthy of 

 special mention. It is readily eaten and under favorable conditions 

 ftirnishes much palatable feed. Several small areas on the range 

 reserve tract had a complete covering of this plant during the past 

 spring. It is a small plant, but has the advantage of forming such 

 a dense growth as to completely cover the ground. Its seeds are also 

 comparatively easily collected. If gathered before fully ripe the 

 whole plant with its abundant seed supply can be collected, but if left 

 until the herbage is dead and dry the pods can be scraped up from the 

 ground with little, if any, loss of seed. 



THE CACTACE.^. 



The cactuses look very uninviting to the average stock raiser, but 

 they, nevertheless, are of some value and are resorted to in times of 

 great necessity. During the past winter at least a half dozen instances 

 were observed of the actual eating of these i^lants by cattle. The 

 species most frequently made use of in the vicinity of Tucson are 

 Opuntia fiilgida, 0. spinosior, O. versicolor, and 0. arhuscida. The 

 two named first produce an abundance of fruit which is free from 

 large sj^ines. The former has many bunches of small fruit, while the 

 latter has large fruits borne singly. One may often during a hard 

 winter observe cattle having a dozen or more joints of this species 

 attached to their heads and necks. Usually these joints remain in 

 these positions until they are rubbed off or until they fester and drop 

 out of their own accord. Fragments of these plants break off very 

 readily, and cattle reaching under the joints to obtain the fruit are 

 almost certain to come in contact with one or more of them. 



Knowing of the experiments conducted in Texas of feeding these 

 plants (0. e??^eZ7?ia?i?i/ especially), in January, the experiment of singe- 

 ing the spines as thorough!}' as possible from a i^ortion of a medium- 



