ORNAMENTAL VALUE OF SALTBUSHES. 5 
when properly pruned compensates in a large measure for the brit- 
tleness of the wood by giving it a solidity of appearance. Its gray 
color might at times be undesirable, but in many surroundings it 
is a decided advantage. 
PROPAGATION. 
Atriplex brewer at Santa Barbara is invariably grown from cut- 
tings, hardened wood of not too great age being employed for the 
purpose. If cuttings are planted in midsummer the early wood 
of the current season’s growth is preferred. If planted in the spring, 
well-matured growth of the previous season is used. The most 
common practice is to use rather large cuttings, a foot or more in 
length. These are preferably rooted in sand in the nursery, but not 
necessarily so. They are often set permanently in the hedge row. 
If planted early in the season in this climate they require the mini- 
mum of attention. If set in midsummer, however, although rooting 
readily they do better if shaded a little, and they must, of course, be 
irrigated. 
Although the species could doubtless be grown from seed, that is 
a much slower method and one apparently never resorted to in 
California, the growth from cuttings being quick and certain. A 
good-sized hedge can be grown the first season from cuttings if they 
are set in the early spring. 
SPECIES OF SALTBUSHES. 
The botanical genus Atriplex, to which the saltbushes belong, is a 
large one, but only a few of the species are suitable for the purpose 
discussed here. One, Atriplex brewerr, and possibly one or two Old- 
World species are now being used. They are suited to coastal condi- 
tions and probably have a much wider range of adaptability than is 
now being made use of. 
The most common native species of saltbush in this country is the 
shad scale (Atriplex canescens), which grows throughout the Great 
Plains, the Rocky Mountain, and the Interior Basin regions from the 
British to the Mexican borders. Its habit and rapidity of growth 
suggest its possible use for hedges, like A. brewer. 
Atriplex torreyr of Nevada and A. lentiformis of southern Arizona 
and southeastern California are rank and rapid growers which shape 
and prune well. They have habits similar to A. breweri. Atriplex 
lentvformis is known to grow readily from cuttings, and it is probable 
that most of the shrubby species of the genus can be propagated in 
the same way that A. breweri is propagated at Santa Barbara at the 
present time. 
[Cir. 69] 
