26 FORAGE CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS. 
removed from the hot water, and evidently in earth containing con- 
siderable soluble salt, were small areas of giant rye grass (//ymus 
condensatus), wild wheat (/’lymus triticoides), and squirrel tail (//or- 
deum jubatum). Everywhere there was a robust growth of salt grass, 
which was very heavily covered with the secretion so characteristic of 
it in this region. All these were, of course, grazed to a large extent. 
Attention is called to the fact that our animals refused to feed on the 
salt grass here for the first time, owing, no doubt, to this covering of 
salt. 
In places on the edges of the desert there is another salt-secreting 
plant Hunanus bigelovia (4?) (No. 535 Griffiths and Hunter), which the 
writer has met with several times. It is always most abundant and is 
most abundantly supplied with the secretion in the vicinity of borax 
deposits. Last year it was found to be very common near Wild Horse 
and again at this place. The salt secreted by this plant, however, is 
very different from that of the salt grass, inasmuch as it assumes a 
erystaline structure when dry. 
About 4 miles from the hot spring mentioned, we came across a 
very peculiar cool spring in the middle of the Black Rock desert. 
The area immediately surrounding this spring is interesting in show- 
ing the plants that thrive to the best advantage in this strikingly alka- 
line situation, especially since all those which grow here are of value 
for grazing purposes. This spring was situated in a hillock about 12 
feet high in the middle of the level salt desert. The water formerly 
broke out at the top of the mound, but now comes from the side and 
runs only a few feet before it sinks into the ground. There was a 
scattering growth of salt @rass all around the hillock and on the shady 
side a thick growth of grease wood. The seepage ran out on the 
desert about 50 feet and sank into the ground. <A patch of squirrel- 
tail (Hordeum jubatum) and Scirpus americanus was growing in the 
seepage water. This was practically the only pasturage found for our 
animals on the entire trip of 100 miles from Deep Hole to Lovelock. 
The plants specified above formed the only vegetation aside from some 
of the blue-green algee forming a scum over the entire surface of the 
eround, which was kept moist. The water, although cool, was 
intensely alkaline. 
It is to be understood, of course, that the region which was traversed 
between Smoke Creek and Lovelock is used mainly as a winter range 
for sheep. There are in this region a few cattle camps, and the Deep 
Hole Company has control of the Granite Mountain region, in which 
there is. of course, better feed. In places between Rabbit Hole and 
Lovelock, and especially eastward from Pyramid Lake, there are very 
extensive areas of white sage (urotia lanata) on the mesas and foot- 
hills and very often extending into the mountains. The finest areas 
of this plant seen were located 20 miles or so north of Lovelock and 
