34 FOEAGE CONDITIONS ON NOETHERN BOEDEE OF GEEAT BASIN. 



excellent stand and furnishes from 1£ to 2 tons of hay per acre. Next in 

 importance to these two grasses should be mentioned the native clovers, 

 several species of which are to be found in the region, but the most 

 important one is Trifolium involucratum in some of its various forms. 

 Both the quality and quanthVy of the hay furnished by these plants 

 are excellent. The}^ grow very profusely in the low boggy sedgy 

 meadows, and very naturalty improve the quality of the native hay in 

 these situations, which, were it not for these leguminous crops, would 

 produce little aside from the sedges and rushes. Very often, as was 

 the case on the Divine Ranch, these furnish one-half of the hay on 

 these areas, the remainder being furnished by the sedges and rushes. 

 Occasionally giant rye grass (Mymus condensatus) is cut for ha}^ on the 

 drier bottoms. It makes a coarse quality of forage, and its main use is 

 winter pasturage. (See PL XIII, fig. 2.) The following list of forage 

 plants from the meadows of Quinn River Crossing are representa- 

 tive and give a good idea of the character of the vegetation on these 

 areas: Sedges (Carex lanuginosa, C. douglasii, and C. nebraskensis)', 

 salt grass {Distichlis spicata), red top (Agrostis alba), alkali saccaton 

 (Sporobolus airoides), squirrel tail (Hordewn jubatum), wild barley 

 (Hordewn nodosum), orchard barley (Sitanion longifolium), wild 

 wheat (Elymus triticoides), giant rye grass (Elymus condensatus), 

 slender wheat grass (Agropyron tenerum), bunch blue grass (Poa Imvi- 

 gata), steel grass (Sporobolus depauperatus), slough grass (Bechmannia 

 erucwformis) , beard grass {Polypogon monspeliensis), creeping spike- 

 rush (Eleocharis palustris), rush (Juncus balticus), prairie bulrush 

 (Scirpus campestris), tule (Scirpus lacustris), clover {Trifolium involu- 

 cratwn), seaside arrow grass (Triglochin maritima), cat-tail (Typha 

 latifolla). 



The native meadows of the Malheur Lake bottoms deserve special 

 mention. The principal study of these was made en the Island Ranch 

 between the forks of Silvies River. The quantity- of water with which 

 these areas are flooded is enormous and remains upon the ground for 

 a long period. Consequently, the sedges and rushes develop to an 

 astonishing extent. There are here grasses also which make an excel- 

 lent growth. (See PL XV, figs. 1 and 2.) The one characteristic above 

 all others which impresses one is the exceedingly patchy character 

 of the vegetation on the low, level, poorty drained bottoms. The most 

 valuable forage plants appear to be the wild wheat or blue stem 

 (Elymus triticoides), prairie bulrush (Scirpus campestris), sprangle top 

 (Scolochloa festucacea), awned sedge (Carex aristata), and yellow top 

 (Oalamagrostis liyperbora americana). These forage plants, together 

 with the less valuable tule (Scirpus lacustris), rush (Juncus balticus), 

 cat-tail (Typha latifolia), creeping club rush (Eleocharis paidstris), 

 and bur-reed (Spavganum eurycarpwn), are scattered around over the 

 bottoms in areas of variable extent, but usually in patches of but few 



