16 FORAGE CONDITIONS ON NORTHERN BORDER OF GREAT BASIN. 



No. 8. — July 21, 1901, Quinn River Crossing, Nev. Giant rye-grass {Elymus con- 

 densatus) soil, so hard at this time of the year that it is almost impossible to penetrate 

 it with a trowel. This sample is from the typical open areas on the Quinn River 

 bottoms near the Miller and Lux ranch, and differs very materially from the soil 

 which produces equally large quantities of this grass in sage-brush areas. The meadow 

 from which this sample was taken is heavily pastured during the winter months. 



No. 11. — July, 1901, near Leonard Creek ranch, about 85 miles northwest of Win- 

 nemucca, Nev. There was practically nothing growing where this sample was taken 

 except NuttalFs saltbush {Atriplex nuttallii) and white sage {Eurotia lanata). The 

 sample was taken from a small basin-shaped depression about 20 rods in diameter. 

 It has a very different appearance from the typical white sage soil of the region, 

 the latter usually growing on well-drained slopes with the spiny saltbush {Atriplex 

 conferti folia) . 



No. 13. — July, 1901, Alder Creek ranch, about 100 miles northwest of Winnemucca, 

 Nev., and at the western base of the Pine Forest Mountains. Meadow soil in which 

 Nebraska sedge ( Car ex nebraskensis) grew to the exclusion of all other vegetation. 

 This sedge invariably grows in low depressions which are flooded for a large part of 

 the year. 



No. 16. — August 1, 1901, in Nevada, near Denio, Oreg. This is considered to be 

 the typical soil upon which this rayless goldenrod ( Chrysothamnus graveolens) is 

 usually found. There were but very few other shrubs or other vegetation of any 

 kind growing where the sample was taken. 



No. 17. — August 2, 1901, near Denio, Oreg. Sample taken from what appeared 

 to be a very alkaline situation covered with a good stand of alkali saccaton {Sporo- 

 bolus airoides) . 



No. 18. — August 2, 1901, near Denio, Oreg. Sample from one of the rather sandy 

 areas surrounding and situated above the bottom of the valley. The vegetation 

 consists of black sage {Artemisia tridehtata), bud sage {Artemisia spinescens) , spiny 

 saltbush {Atriplex confertifolia), hop sage {Grayia spinosa), and rayless goldenrod 

 {Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) . It is unusual to find these plants growing in this 

 way. They are usually more or less separated and grow on different soils. It is 

 common to find two or three of them together, but the writer has never seen them 

 growing so intimately mixed anywhere else. 



No. 22. — August 6, 1901, Alvord Desert, Oregon. This is what is known in the 

 region as " self-raising ground." It presents a peculiar appearance, inasmuch as the 

 soil blisters and is mellow on top, while the subsoil may be moist, as was the case 

 where this sample was taken, or it may be exceedingly hard when it becomes dried 

 out. No salt was visible where this sample was taken, neither was there any vegeta- 

 tion of any kind. The soil is covered in date winter and early spring with about 6 

 inches of water. This evaporates early in the season, when the ground becomes dry, 

 hard, and fissured. 



No. 23. — August 6, 1901, on the Wild Horse Ranch, near Andrews, Oreg. The 

 sample was taken from the center of a large area of salt grass ( Distichlis spicata) . 

 The soil is very hard but has no salt visible upon it. The grass in this locality was 

 covered with a gummy, acid secretion. This does not appear on the base of the 

 culms near the ground, but on the upper, green, and vegetative portion of the plant. 

 It is a very peculiar characteristic of salt grass over large areas in eastern Oregon. It 

 was met with first in small areas at Quinn River Crossing, Nev. , and was subse- 

 quently observed at Divine's ranch on the edge of the Alvord Desert, and also on 

 the Malheur Lake bottom south of Burns. The secretion has a gummy, sticky con- 

 sistency under ordinary temperatures, but during hot weather, when the samples 

 were collected, it deliquesced very readily when carried in a vasculum. The presence 

 of the secretion is very noticeable the moment one attempts to walk through an 

 area of grass covered with it, on account of the impediment which it offers. One's 

 clothing soon becomes covered with the gummy substance. The areas upon which it 



