SUMMARY. 5 5 



Orchard barley (Sitanion longifolium, S. cinerum, and S. hystrix). — The first 

 named is the most important. It is abundant all through the mountains and extends 

 down to the upper bottoms. In regions frequented by sheep it was invariably 

 cropped the same as other grasses. Cattle, however, do not appear to feed upon it 

 so much. S. cinerum is a common species which furnishes some feed in the open 

 clearings in the Blue Mountains, and S. hystrix is a mountain species which was col- 

 lected only in the Pine Forest Mountains. Here, however, it appeared to be grazed 

 fully as much as S. longifolium. 



Small cord-grass (Spartina gracilis). — An erect, rigid, wiry species common on 

 all low alkaline meadows. It is commonly found with salt grass and alkali saccaton. 

 The little pasture which it furnishes is probably but slightly superior to the salt grass 

 itself. We found the greatest quantity of it in the Alvord Desert basin. 



Alkali saccaton ( Sporobolus 'airoides) . — A very characteristic and often abundant 

 species on the low, alkaline areas. According to soil sample taken north of Denio, 

 Oreg., it grows on the white rather than the black alkaline soil. This corresponds 

 with observations made in Arizona. Its habit of growth in this region is very 

 similar to the appearance it presents in the Yellowstone Valley in Montana. In the 

 Sulphur Spring Valley in Arizona, however, it grows very often to twice the height 

 that it does here. For a rigid, tufted grass it appears to be relished by cattle, and 

 is always closely cropped here on the open range. In places along the Humboldt 

 Eiver it enters into the composition of the hay to some extent, but its habits of 

 growth render it of more value for pasture than for hay. 



Rough-leaved dropseed (Sporobolus asperifolms) . — A short, bright green species, 

 with long, creeping-root stocks and a delicate, divaricate panicle, which is easily 

 broken, both in the green and ripe stages. It never forms hay, but is an important 

 pasture grass on many of the drier meadows. 



Dropseed (Sporobolus depauperatus) . — An abundant, rather wiry, species on all of 

 the drier bottoms. It often grows large enough to be cut for hay in favorable years, 

 but its main value is for pasture, of which it furnishes a large amount. 



Needle grass (Stipa comata). — This species, so abundant and important in all 

 the plains region, grows here most commonly on the lower mesas among the sage- 

 brush. It is never abundant enough to form even a tenth of the soil cover, but the 

 stray, luxuriant bunches of it form feed that is highly relished by stock. 



Small needle grass (Stipa minor) . — An abundant species . among shrubbery and 

 on shady slopes, especially in Steins Mountains. It forms here much valuable pas- 

 ture. It never grows thick, but, like other species which inhabit bushy localities, it 

 grows in scattered bunches among the other vegetation. 



Nelson's needle grass (Stipa nelsoni). — A common species in the White Horse 

 Mountains, but never abundant enough to be of very much importance. The feed 

 which it does produce is of good quality. 



Western needle grass (Stipa occidentalis) . — Common and conspicuous in the 

 mountains. It grows in large bunches much like the feather bunch grass of the 

 plains region, and the quality of its feed is very similar to the latter. 



Downy oat grass (Trisetum subspicatum) . — This furnishes a limited quantity of 

 good pasture in the edges of thickets in Steins Mountains. 



SUMMARY. 



(1) The public ranges of the region are in many places badly depleted, 

 and furnish at the present time not over one-third of the feed which they 

 once did. This is directly traceable to overstocking, and it does not 

 appear clear how matters will improve in this respect in the near 

 future as long as there is no inducement for anyone to do aught but 



