Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
e 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER September 23, 1919 
AUSTRALIAN SALTBUSH. 
By Roxanp McKez, Assistant Agrostologist, Office of Forage-Crop Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page 
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EARLY TESTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN SALTBUSH. 
The Australian saltbush (Afripler semibaccata) was introduced 
into the United States some 25 years ago and was distributed more 
or less generally throughout the arid and semiarid regions. The very 
high hopes held at that time regarding its prospective value have not 
been realized. Except in California and Arizona the plantings 
resulted in failure, and in those States under cultivation it is unable 
to compete with more productive crops, like alfalfa and beans. In 
early trials in California it did quite well and was so reported by the 
State experiment station writers and others. The early plantings 
in Arizona resulted in failure and only with the development of irriga- 
tion has it become well established in that State. For a number of 
“years, and especially between the years 1900 and 1910, Australian 
saltbush seed was grown by the California experimental substation, 
located at Tulare, and by Mr. Guy E. Heaton, of Paso Robles, Calif. 
The seed grown at these places was distributed gratis or sold through 
commercial channels, and the larger part was probably planted 
on the arid range lands of the Southwest. 
Except in California, plantings made on the range lands were 
failures, and in general the use of this saltbush for range purposes was 
not considered a success. However, some of the plantings along the 
122921°—19—Bull. 617 
