What tc seed : Eecause of the wide range of growing conditions at 

 the medium and lov:er elevations, rather careful choice of species is 

 necessary. 



The following mixtures are suggested for use on various sites, depending 

 upon relative moisture supply (rates given are for drilling): 



Species 



• — — — . . . — . — 



Dry Sites 



... . , 



Moderate Sites 



Hoist Sites 



i 

 1 



lbs. per acre 



lbs. per acre 



lbs. per acre 



Crested wheat grass 



8 



4 





Smooth brome 





3 



4 



Slender wheat grass 



| 



3 



2 



! Timothy 







2 



| Orchardgrass 







_1_ 



; Total: 



8 



10 



9 



".'.'hen tc seed : Fall, September through November, is a good time to seed, 

 especially -'here there will be a ground cover of weeds, grass or brush, 

 and it has some advantages where competition is expected. Early spring 

 seeding is very good on bare or well prepared ground, provided seed is 

 properly covered and soil is firmed after seeding to retard drying. 



DENSE ST.,:"3J OF BIG SAGEBRUSH URTEMISIrt TRIDENTS ) . 



Eig sagebrush on the range is, at best, a mixed blessing. When it gets 

 too thick it is a serious pest. It interferes with utilization of forage, 

 and uses water and plant nutrients that could better be used by more 

 valuable plants. In these ways and others it greatly reduces the grazing 

 capacity of the range. This is especially serious because of the fact 

 that dense stands of big sagebrush usually occur on areas with productive 

 soil capable of producing a considerable amount of good forage but with 

 a limited moisture supply. 



Many authorities agree that sagebrush is naturally a rather minor part 

 of the range vegetation in most of Montana, but that it tends to take 

 over under prolonged heavy grazing. This it has done on many thousands 

 of acres mainly at medium tc low elevations, but also to some extent in 

 the high mountains. Once sagebrush has gained the upper hand, it may 

 hold on for years even under improved management. 



Comparatively little sagebrush eradication work has been done in Montana, 

 so most of the following suggestions on methods are based on research 

 work by the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station in Utah, 

 Idaho, and Nevada 



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