THE REDWOOD BELT. 63 



size of the trees and their abundance, the forest shade is here very 

 dense. On the bottom lands few other species of trees are met with. 

 On the ridges forming watersheds between the different forks of the 

 coast rivers the redwoods are more scattered, and other species of 

 trees, together with some brush, occur more frequently. 



Grasses are scarce in the redwood forest, Bromus Ic&vipes, Melica 

 bromoides, Savastana macrophylla, Trisetum canescens, and Des- 

 champsia elongata being the prevalent species. These grow mainly 

 near the borders and openings of the forest, and provide only scant 

 feed for stock. The rare but characteristic Asperella californica, 

 found in the redwood belt near San Francisco, does not appear to 

 occur as far north as Mendocino County. 



Forage plants other than grasses are not plentiful, and are princi- 

 pally eaten by hogs and other stock as a change of diet from exces- 

 sively luxuriant range feed. Of these the following are noteworthy : 

 Squaw lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is said to be a favorite food of 

 cattle and hogs. Thistles (Carduus spp.) and the tubers of wild 

 horseradish (Dentaria sp.) and roots of bracken (Pteris aquilina lanu- 

 ginosa) are eaten by hogs. Oxalis oregana is sometimes eaten in small 

 quantity by cattle and horses. The common sword fern {Aspidium 

 munitum) is said to be eaten readily by calves and stock for a day or 

 bwo after feeding on clover on the ranges. Hogs doubtless also feed 

 on salal-berries ( Gaultheria shallori) and huckleberries ( Vaccinium 

 ovatum), which are abundant in the redwood forest, and on the bulbs 

 of liliaceous plants. Acorns of Quercus densiflora, chinquapin nuts, 

 manzanita berries, and some deer brush are found on the higher ridges. 



The introduction of tall oat grass, rescue grass, awnless brome 

 grass, and wood meadow grass (Poa nemoralis) on the higher dry 

 ridges might increase the amount of forage. It is not likely that any 

 valuable forage plants will be found to thrive in the forest itself; nor 

 would it be desirable from the point of view of the lumberman and 

 forester to attempt to turn the forest proper into pasture land, the 

 two interests being diametrically opposed. 



When cleared, this redwood land, where not too steep, makes good 

 pasture if sown to orchard grass and white clover. On account of the 

 astonishing vitality of the redwood stumps, however, it is found neces- 

 sary to go over the ground at least once a year chopping off suckers 

 in order to keep the land clear. It is said that if this is done at the 

 end of July or early in August it is only necessary to do it once a year, 

 but that if cut at any other season the operation has to be repeated 

 one or more times during the year. 



The narrow strips of bottom land, where cleared of timber, pro- 

 duce excellent forage and general farm crops. 



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