THE MESA LANDS. 51 



and often forming a dense turf of excellent pasturage. The ray 

 grasses, perennial, Italian, Australian, and many-flowered, have been 

 introduced and are now freely naturalized in many localities, adding 

 materially to the value of the uncultivated forage. Soft chess is met 

 with but sparingly. 



Bull clover (Trifolium wormskjoldii) is common in springy places, 

 and bear clover ( T. fucatum virescens) on slidy , clay soils on the higher 

 ranges; these two are considered as among the best native forage 

 plants. White clover ( T. repens) has become established along road- 

 sides ; bur clover (Medicago denticulata) and black medic ( M. lupulina) 

 are sparingly naturalized. Red clover (T. pratense) has become nat- 

 uralized in a few localities. 



California lotus (Lotus americanus) is commonly met with in dry 

 places among brush and on the open ranges on Bear River Ridge. 

 Rib grass (Plantago lanceolate) is naturalized in several places, and 

 furnishes a small quantity of late summer feed. 



A variety of red fescue forms a somewhat sparse turf on the sandy 

 summits of the cliffs. In crevices and on ledges of the rocky cliffs 

 Calamagrostis aleutica, Agrostis densiflora, Poa unilateralism and spe- 

 cies of Bromus and Elymus hold the soil in company with such mari- 

 time plants as Erigeron glaucus, Mesembry anthem um cequilaterale, 

 Lupinus michenerii, etc. 



The cooler and moister summer climate of the coast induces the 

 forage plants to keep green two or three weeks later than on the inte- 

 rior ranges; they are at their best in the months of May and June. 

 The yield of forage diminishes seriously toward the end of July, and 

 the feeding of dairy stock with forage crops then begins. At Point 

 Arena some dairymen commence feeding with field peas, which are 

 fed green, following with root crops, of which carrots and mangel- 

 wurzel are principally used. The improved strains of cattle parsnip 

 are well worth trial in this section. 



Few sheep are now run on the mesa lands ; cattle are raised through- 

 out the belt, there being a steady demand for beef in the lumber 

 camjjs of the adjacent redwood region. 



The high bluff lands of Cape Mendocino, from Bear River Ridge to 

 the Upper Mattole, furnish probably the finest perennial stock ranges 

 of Humboldt County. Danthonia forms a large part of the forage, 

 and perennial ray grass has become established in many spots, add- 

 ing much to the early winter feed. Rib grass is occasionally met 

 with and furnishes a small amount of late feed, but it is of very 

 little value for cattle. Our visit was made too late in the season to 

 find the native grasses in condition for collection and determination. 



Orchard grass and oats are successfully cultivated on these hills, 

 and are used both for hay and silage, two or three silos having been 

 built during the last two years. Several creameries are in use, the 

 butter being carried a distance of 10 to 15 miles to the nearest rail- 



