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3-11-32 



you see thorn mixod in with other kinds of plants. For example, as an under- 

 story in the forest or as more or less scattered individ-uals in grass .md 

 weeds in parks, on foothills, and on mountain slopes. In the mountains of 

 the West, shnibs are often met with at the lower elevations, as on the foot- 

 hills, and lower plateaus, above or near timber line« 



But wliat are they all good for? Well, that is a pretty big order, 



when we don't even know how many kinds there ara. However, among the many 

 use a, they nerve to protect the watershed and conserve wild life. Some of 

 them are poisonous. Others have medicinal properties. Others supply cordwood, 

 edible fruits or nuts. To the range-wise forester or stockman, certain kinds 

 serve as indicators or "ear marks" of overgrazed range, and planting sites, 

 and of land fit for farming. 



And, of course, from Mr, Dayton's viewpoint, one of their chief values 

 is as browse for livestock, especially in times of drought and other feed 

 shortage, Rouglily speaking, he says, only about one in eighteen of the kinds 

 of shrubs has very much forage value, but the number that are grazed to some 

 extent at least under certain circumstances, is very great. 



There is no rule by which you can tell a good browse plant from a poor 

 one. As Mr, Dayton sa.ys, it is like the pudding in the adage, the proof is in 

 the eatir^ of it. In general, stock prefer the Juicier kinds with the bigger 

 and thinner leaves. And stock are much more likely to crop plants with bland 

 juices like those of most of the rose and mallov; families than they are to eat 

 those of a bitter, acrid taste. 



Yet some kinds of bitter-tasting foliage, such as that of bitter brush 

 and cliff rose, the animals seem to like. You know the old saying, there is no 

 disputing about ta,ste. That is true enough about human taste, and seems to be 

 even more so about stock. In fact, Mr, Dayton says the more he knows about 

 what plants livestock seem to relish, the more he is convinced that animals 

 make chemical distinctions in bitterness that the human po.late simply can not 

 appreciate. They pass up some types of bitterness and relish others apparently 

 just as bitter. 



Many shrubby plants, especially those of the goosefoot f ajnily,gro':ving 

 in alkaline or saline land, have a salty taste most stock seem to like. But 

 animals seldom graze plants that iiave an a.cid flavor, and Mr. Dayton doubts 

 wheter any western shrub with a milky juice is palatable to livestock. 



Wlaether stock graze one sort of slirub or another depends a lot on the 

 season of the year and what else is available. For instance, big sagebrush, 

 on the higher s'ummer ranges is seldom of much va.lue as a forage plant. But 

 on the lower ranges, where it is more plentiful and where its slender twigs, 

 and big leaves and the flowering and fruiting heads are availa,ble to livestock 

 through the late fall, and winter, and early spring, big sagebrush is often the 

 mainstay ra.tion. Sheep and goats especially take to it at such times. Cattle 

 also browse it considerably, but less so tlian sheep. In fact, sheep sometimes 

 get a "s.nge hunger" aiad often leave other feed alone for several days -until 

 they get enough sage. 



Big sagebrush is not thought so much of in Washirogton State and much 

 of Oregon, but it is highly esteemed in Nevada., a.nd Utah, and Colorado, and 



