Vol. 7, No. 10 
Page 4 
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Approximately 50 food patches ranging in size from 0.5 to 3-0 acres were estab¬ 
lished on each area by the Department of Conservation. The patches were planted 
to milo, buckwheat, cowpeas, and three millets, proso, pearl, and German, and 
provided cover, as well as food, for quail. Milo, and proso and German millets 
ranked among the first 10 foods according to frequency of occurrence in crops from 
the Dale Area. Milo was the only item planted in the food patches that ranked 
among the first 10 foods in crops from the Forbes Area. Common ragweed occurred 
in 50 percent of the 294 crops and ranked first according to frequency of occurrence 
in crops from the Dale Area. The two food items most frequently found in crops 
from the Forbes Area were common ragweed and acorns; each occurred in 28.2 percent 
of the crops. Korean lespedeza was found in 35 percent of the crops from the Dale 
Area and in 24 percent of the crops from the Forbes Area. Common ragweed, acorns, 
and Korean lespedeza have been found to be staple food items of quail in other 
areas of southern Illinois. 
Table 2. The 10 top-ranked food items (percent of occurrence) found in crops of 
quail harvested on the Dale and Forbes areas in 1963- The Dale sample represents 
138 crops (11 empty); the Forbes sample, 156 crops (28 empty). 
Percent Frequency 
Times of 
Food I terns Represented Occurrence Rank 
Dale Area 
Common ragweed 
(Ambrosia artemisiifolia) 
68 
50 
1 
Korean lespedeza 
(Lespedeza stipulaceae) 
48 
35 
2 
Milo 
(Sorghum vulqare) 
41 
30 
3 
Leafy material 
25 
18 
4 
Fal1 panicum 
(Panicum dichotomif1orum) 
23 
17 
5 
Sma11 wild bean 
(Strophostyles leiosperma) 
22 
16 
6 
Proso millet 
(Panicum miliaceum) 
20 
14 
7 
Japanese millet 
(Echinochloa crusqalli, var. 
16 
frumentacea 
12 
8-9 
German millet 
(Setaria i tal ica) 
16 
12 
8-9 
Smooth crabgrass 
(Diqitaria ischaemum) 
15 
11 
10 
