46 REPORT ON A BOTANICAL TOUR IN KASHMIR, 1893. 
Aristida spp, 
Avena fattia, L. 
Calamagrostis spp. 
Eragrostis cy 7 iostiroides, R. and S, 
,, poceoidesy Beauv. 
Oryzopsis spp, 
Panicum sanguinalBy L, 
Pappophorum persicuniy Boiss 
Penmsetum dichotomum, Del. 
„ flacciduniy Griseb. 
„ lanatutriy Klotsch. 
Phragmites communis ^ Trin. 
Poa bu I ho say L, 
Saccharum spontaneunty L, 
Stipit spp, 
A large number of nutritious plants are rejected by animals on 
account of their prickly nature ; and, as this is a common character 
of the vegetation of tracts of country like that of Gilgit, it is obvious 
that, in order to utilize such plants in the form of fodder, some means 
must be adopted to disarm them. Their conversion into silage 
would certainly be effective in this respect, and 1 have reason to 
believe that this method of storing fodder would succeed in that 
climate. 
Before leaving Kashmir in 1892, I had an opportunity of discuss- 
ing with Captain Yielding, D.S.O., the subject of fodder-supply in 
the Gilgit district His head-quarters happened at that time to 
be at Gurais, and I there gave him a memorandum embodying the 
results of my investigations. 1 also suggested to him the advisability 
of making a few silage experiments with the ordinary coarse in- 
digenous vegetation. I understand that arrangements have been 
made for the preparation of -silos at suitable localities, but as 
yet the results have not been communicated to me. 
Several kinds of thistle, and of other plants allied to them, 
are plentiful in the Astor and Gilgit valleys ; but owing to their 
being protected by thorns, they are at present unavailable as fodder 
to many animals. Plants of the thistle tribe are usually highly 
nutritious. The particular species which I remember to have seen 
in those valleys in any quantity are — Carduus nutanSy L.y Cntcus 
arvensis, Hoffmy C, involucratuSy DC.y Cousinia spp.y and Echinops 
cornigeruSy PC. These and the widely spread wormwood 
{Artemisia maritima) all belong to the natural order Compositae. 
