SUMMARY. 77 



in the Botany of the State Geological Survey, and several of Mar- 

 shall's novelties have been described in the writings of Prof. E. L. 

 Greene. The only publications dealing directly with the flora of the 

 region are those of Blasdale and Drew. 



SUMMARY. 



1. The principal industries of the region under consideration are 

 stock raising, dairying, lumbering, and barking. 



2. Lumber and tanbark are practically confined to the redwood 

 belt, a narrow strip of country running nearly parallel with the 

 coast line. 



3. Dairying is practically restricted to a few points along the 

 coast, at Point Arena, and particularly the fertile flood plains near 

 Eureka and Crescent Citj^. The mountain valleys at the headwaters 

 of the various branches of Eel River seem to be well adapted to 

 dairying where they are within accessible distance of a market or 

 shipping point. 



4. The best grazing areas are (a) the coast bluffs, particularly near 

 Point Arena and in the Cape Mendocino country; (b) the mountain 

 valleys above referred to, and (c) the upland ridges of the plateau. 

 The plateau ridges furnish by far the largest grazing area. This 

 plateau country is not adapted to general agriculture. 



5. Annual (seed growing) grasses seem to be better adapted to 

 the upland ranges than perennial ("root growing") species. They 

 reproduce themselves from seed much more readily after trampling 

 out than the perennial species and furnish a large amount of early 

 winter feed. 



6. Naturalized forage plants, introduced accidentally from foreign 

 countries, such as alfilerilla, bur clover, rat-tail fescue, barley grass, 

 and soft chess are proving better able to stand trampling and graz- 

 ing than the native species. 



7. The maximum carrying capacitj^ of the ranges has been reduced 

 from 5 acres per head of cattle to 10, 12, and, it is said, even 20 acres, 

 within comparatively few years, through excessively high land val- 

 uations and consequent overstocking of the ranges. The result of 

 our investigations shows, and it has since been confirmed by practical 

 stockmen who have grazed some of these ranges for years, that not 

 less than 8 acres of range (including the usual proportion of brush 

 and timber) should be allowed to each head of cattle. At this ratio 

 the range can be maintained, and even improved, with judicious 

 handling. This ratio should be made the basis of valuation in the 

 purchase of a range, the relative amount of open range and of wood- 

 land also being taken into account. 



8. The principal secret of successful stock raising in this region is 

 to allow abundance of grass to go to seed. Seeding grass knee-deep 

 is not wasted, as is usually supposed, but insures an abundance of 



