-3- 



3-11-32 



New Mexico, Tliat, Mr, Dayton tells mo, is largely because in the north big 

 sagebrush occurs mostly on s"unnior or early fall range. Its palatability and 

 usefulness is much greater in the late fall, winter, and very early spring. 



The most remarkable thing about big sagebrush, horyever, is its enormous 

 root s:"stem, tliat reaches vay 6.01m under ground for water and minerals. A 

 vigorous growth of big sagebrush has long been used as an indicator of potential 

 agricultural land, and has been very valuable in reclanation projects. 



Mountain-mahogany, bitterbrush, cliff rose, and other of t]|fe rose fcunily 

 fom probably- the most important group of range browse plants. Yet in that 

 same general rose f .Ti-ii'ly there are some that arc practically worthless from the 

 grazing strndpoint. 



In all this grazing business, the stockman and range official has to talce 

 into consideration not only one particular kind of plant grazed, but the effect 

 the grazing of that plant on the grazing of other kinds pr^.tn 1 



Mountain mahogony, for instance, stands close grazing well, and some 

 people cla.ira tIiat_on the better sites it should be grazed closely enough to 

 make the plants take on a bushy and more spreading form. But if that is done 

 with any livestock except goats, lAr. Dayton says, it will cause overgrazing of 

 herbaceous vegetation and result in erosion and serious lowering of the live- 

 stock carrying capacity of the range. 



Each of the thousands of shrub species growing here, there, and yonder 

 lias an interesting s tory, according to Mr, Dayton. The pines, and the oaks, 

 and the apples, and the honeysuckles, and the willows, and the heaths, bhe 

 peas, and the beajis, and several others all have representatives of their 

 botanical frmilies among the shrubs of the forest, or mountains or plains. It 

 is surprising too, that altho"ugh legumes are so important as forage for live- 

 stock, the hierabers of that family among the shrubs on the rpjige furnish little 

 or no browse. But they do produce several kinds of poisonous plants. 



ANNOUNCEIvffiNT ; 



You have just listened to our feature called "With Uncle Sam's Natura- 

 lists" which was prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Two weeks from today we will again go out into the open and listen to 

 Nature ' s teachings. 



