8 BULLETIN 617, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
a number of other desert plants, including other species of Atriplex, 
are found in abundance. The absence of this saltbush in these 
regions is perhaps due in part to the fact that considerable humidity 
and surface soil moisture are essential for the germination of the 
seed and growth of the young plant, and such conditions seldom exist 
at any period of the year in the regions mentioned. 
ANALYSES OF THE PLANT. 
In Tables IT and III are given analyses of the tops or stems and 
leaves of Australian saltbush plants. In Table II only the sodium- 
chlorid content is shown. An attempt has been made to correlate 
the sodium-chlorid content of the plant with the sodium-chlorid con- 
tent of the soil in which it was growing. It will be noted that the 
plants containing the greatest percentage of sodium chlorid were 
grown in the soil having the greatest percentage of this substance. 
This relation, however, does not always hold true, for some of the 
soils with low sodium-chlorid content produce plants high in this 
substance; but in general there seems to be a positive correlation 
between soils with high sodium-chlorid content and plants high in 
this compound. 
The analyses given in Table III show that saltbush forage has a 
comparatively high content of protein and of nitrogen-free extract 
and crude fat. These data, however, are not indicative of its feeding 
value, as the high sodium-chlorid content has to be taken into 
consideration. 
Tasie III].—Composition of the Australian saltbush compared with that of alfalfa. 
[From Farmers’ Bulletin 108, p. 15.] 
Constituents (per cent). 
Material. | | Nitrogen- 
- Crude Crude | Crude 
Moisture.| Ash. : free 
protein. fiber. earctnects fat. 
Green stems and leaves: | | 
Avstraliam|sallt bushes ease. ss eee 78. 03 4.58 QED 335 715) 10.41 0. 48 
UNUGENIDGYS kegels eater are aie ae Sates ae ee 75. 04 1.80 4.91 6. 34 11.09 86 
Hay samples: | 
Australian'saltbush:--25- 0. eee ee | 7.05 19.37 11.64 15. 88 44.05 2.01 
NUTR Leyes eee ee ee ne, Sie eet oie ae Se 10. 95 6.43 17.60 22. 63 39.31 3.08 
VALUE FOR PASTURE. 
In regions to which it is adapted the Australian saltbush is quite 
ageressive and this characteristic makes it more valuable for pasture 
purposes. It grows readily from seed and is distributed by the 
seed being carried in various ways from place to place. The intro- 
duction of this saltbush into new localities has followed the traveled 
highways, railroads, and overland trails. 
