Feb. 16, 1914 
Indicator Significance of Vegetation 
4i5 
Sagebrush Land. —This is the only type in Tooele Valley which is 
well adapted to dry farming. Practically all of the area devoted to 
wheat in this valley was doubtless originally occupied by the sagebrush 
association. Most of this area is situated on the eastern side of the 
valley, where the rainfall is heavier than on the western side. But 
the presence of sagebrush does not necessarily indicate good conditions 
for dry farming. Where the stand is thin and the plants are small and 
unthrifty, the depth of good soil is too slight for profitable crop pro¬ 
duction without irrigation. Sagebrush vegetation of this character indi¬ 
cates the presence of gravelly hardpan, or else of an excessive quantity 
of alkali salts, at a depth of only 2 or 3 feet. 
A good growth of sagebrush also indicates the best land for farming 
under irrigation. Because of the low water table and the absence of 
alkali salts, such land is not likely to require artificial drainage. 
Kochi a Land. —Dry farming is sometimes attempted on Kochia land, 
rye being the crop which is usually grown. The yields obtained are very 
small, at least in years of only normal rainfall, the depth of good soil 
being narrowly limited by the strongly saline subsoil. Whether Kochia 
land is suitable for irrigation farming is somewhat doubtful, since the 
rather impervious character of the soil might make it difficult to leach 
the salts to a sufficient depth to insure profitable crop production. 
Shadscale Land. —Dry farming is precarious on this type of land. 
On the other hand, it seems probable that most of the shadscale land in 
Tooele Valley would produce crops under irrigation, if water for this 
purpose were available, since as compared with Kochia land the soil is 
more permeable and there is greater likelihood that the salts could be 
leached out of the subsoil. 
Greasewood-Shadscale Land. —One or two attempts at crop pro¬ 
duction without irrigation on this type of land were observed, but the 
results seemed to be no better than on Kochia and on shadscale land. 
The reason doubtless is that while the moisture conditions are more 
favorable than on the latter types the salt content of the soil at only a 
slight depth is too high to permit crop plants to make a satisfactory 
root development. 
On the other hand, greasewood-shadscale land when irrigated and 
reclaimed produces good crops of alfalfa, grain, and even of orchard 
fruits. Artificial drainage, however, would probably be required in case 
an extensive area of this type of land were under irrigation, the water 
table being already high and the subsoil strongly saline. 
Grass-Flat Land. —This type of land affords pasturage to horses and 
cattle and is therefore by no means negligible as one of the agricultural 
resources of the valley. Drainage would probably be necessary in order 
to fit it for crop production. 
Salt-Flat Land. —Most of the area occupied by this type of vegeta¬ 
tion is too wet and too saline for crop production and offers little prospect 
of successful reclamation. 
