FOEAGE PLANTS. 43 



of the western Dakotas, portions of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, was found 

 in one locality in Steins Mountains, where it covered quite extensive areas. This 

 species, known to botanists as A. cana, differs from the preceding in having a more 

 erect habit of growth and longer entire leaves. Its feeding qualities differ in no wise 

 from those of the next species. (See PL VI, fig. 1.) 



Black sage (Artemisia tridentata) . — This is the common sage of the mesas and foot- 

 hills. It takes the place of the Cactacese and the creosote bush (Larrea mexicana) of 

 the deserts to the southward. Its feeding qualities are very inferior. It is some- 

 times said to be used for feed to a considerable extent, but its value is probably 

 overestimated. According to the best information we are able to obtain, it is seldom 

 browsed, even by sheep, excepting in extreme cases, and then it is claimed by the 

 sheepmen of the region that the animals can not live upon it for more than a couple 

 of days at a time. (See PL II, fig. 2. ) 



Black sage (Artemisia rigida). — This was met with in but two situations, the first 

 near the Calamity settlement and the next near Westfall, Oreg. In both instances 

 it was cropped very closely and it was with the greatest difficulty that we were able 

 to secure specimens enough to identify the plant, inasmuch as we were unfamiliar 

 with it, having never seen it growing before. PL III, fig. 2, shows this plant as it 

 appeared near Westfall. The bunches in the foreground constitute what remains of 

 the plant after being fed off during the winter months. In the background, both in 

 front of and behind the wagon, will be seen a typical growth of the common black 

 sage (A. tridentata) . 



Mugwort (Artemisia ludoviciana) . — A very common species of sage growing in gen- 

 eral in higher nonalkaline lowland meadows. It is said to be pastured to a large 

 extent in the winter, and very much of it is cut with other forage plants for hay. In 

 this way it forms quite an important factor in the winter rations. It is probably rel- 

 ished much more by sheep than by cattle. 



Bud sage (Artemisia spinescens). — A spiny, straggly shrub which blooms early in 

 the spring and drops its seeds and leaves in midsummer, becoming almost, if not 

 quite, naked by the middle of August. Of all the species of true sages that grow in 

 the region this is undoubtedly the most important. It is said to be browsed by cat- 

 tle as well as by sheep. As we saw it between Winnemucca, Nev. , and the Alvord 

 desert in Oregon, where it was exceedingly abundant on the foothills and high mesas, 

 it invariably bore evidences of having been browsed during the past season. It is to 

 be understood, of course, that this as well as the other species of the true sages are 

 not eaten during the summer. 



THE SALT SAGES AND THEIR ALLIES. 



This group of usually salt-loving plants is of great economic impor- 

 tance in all the plains and basin region. Some of them form the main 

 winter feed in many situations, while others, like the true sages, may 

 be considered plants which form a subsistence ration. They vary 

 greatly in the character of soil upon which they thrive, some, such as 

 the common greasewood, being seldom found except on soils which are 

 too alkaline for almost all other kinds of vegetation, while others, such 

 as white sage and the spiny salt bash, probably never grow on what 

 may be termed alkaline soil. All these plants belong to the goosefoot 

 family, although they differ widely in their general appearance. They 

 may be readily distinguished from the true sages by their more promi- 

 nent fruits, winged seeds (fruiting bracts), and salty rather than bitter 



