The Australian Saltbush. 9 
seven per cent, in the four analyses above quoted. In other sam¬ 
ples which will be described later we will find that this hay may 
contain even a higher percentage of protein than is shown by the 
South Dakota sample. 
A little over two years ago I thought the time opportune to 
publish these observations on the probable value of this saltbush, 
especially to those sections of the State where the rainfall is usually 
too scant to grow good crops of other forage, but on looking up 
the literature there seemed to be so little positively established, par¬ 
ticularly concerning its digestibility and feeding value, that it seemed 
’ wise to defer publishing them until additional data relative to 
these points had become available. We, therefore, began anew and 
grew another crop of the saltbush and determined its coefficients 
of digestion, using three sheep, wethers going on two years old, for 
this purpose. 
This crop was started by raising the seedlings in boxes and 
transplanting them, but owing to a number of things, over which 
I had no control, it was very late in June before the seedlings were 
transplanted to the plot set aside for this experiment. The soil 
was of good quality and in good condition and free from alkali, and 
the water used for irrigation was likewise free from these salts. 
The plants grew very well and seeded abundantly, though set out 
so late in the season. We had no intention of trying to establish 
the minimum length of the season sufficient to grow a fair crop of 
this hay, but the accidents happening to this experiment show that 
if the plants get a good start by July ist they will do well in this 
portion of the State. This crop was gathered and cured on sheets 
under the direction of Mr. F. Knorr, assistant in Agronomy, so 
that we had the whole plant, leaves and stems, to feed. 
The sheep were taken from fattening pens, where they had 
been receiving a full feed of alfalfa hay and some grain. They 
at first received alfalfa hay alone, then alfalfa and saltbush hay, 
the latter being gradually increased till they received saltbush alone, 
when the preliminary period of the feeding began. The sheep 
had in the meantime become somewhat accustomed to being handled 
and also to their harness. The sheep did not seem to really like this 
hay, one in particular, sheep No. i, continued to protest against it, 
but in the end the experiment proceeded quite satisfactorily. In 
the preceding experiment it will be recalled that we had sheep at 
last three years old. They were accustomed to the person feeding 
them, to the pens in which they were fed, and wore no harness 
to annoy them and were not handled. The result of feeding tliem 
green saltbush, a period of three weeks elapsing between weighings, 
was that the lot just maintained its weight with a variation of only 
one pound in any sheep. The fodder was green and more inviting 
