108 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVIII, No. 2 
lands. It indicates lands from which the original vegetation has been driven 
out by overgrazing. In California this was done during early Spanish days. 
Although it has little indicative significance from the standpoint of crop produc¬ 
tion, much of the land characterized by this type is capable of producing crops 
of wheat and other small grains without irrigation. It supplies practically all 
the feed in the unimproved pastures and ranges in the valleys and lower foothills 
of California. The carrying capacity is from 15 to 30 head of cattle per section. 
( 46 ) Wet Meadow. —Classified in this type are all areas that remain wet or 
moist throughout the summer, where sedges and rushes are the dominant species 
of vegetation. These lands are usually located in the mountain valleys and are 
quite generally used for cutting wild hay. They have a rich black peaty soil, 
which, if drained, makes very good farm lands, but they are usually located at 
elevations too high for grains to mature. These lands afford very good grazing, 
carrying capacity ranging from 100 to 300 head of cattle per section, and are 
located throughout the mountainous areas of Colorado, Utah, and the North¬ 
west. 
( 47 ) Dry Meadow. —Open parks that are wet during the early part of the 
summer, but become moderately dry during the latter part of the season are 
included in this type. It includes the “Camas Prairies,” so common in Idaho, 
and is composed of a mixture of weeds and grasses. The weeds are confined 
mainly to common camas ( Quamasia quamash (Pursh) Coville), white flowered 
dock ( Polygonum , Wyethia sp.), while the grasses are principally red top and 
other species of Agrostis. The growing season is usually too short for maturing 
cultivated farm crops. However, it supplies good grazing, having a carrying 
capacity ranging from 50 to 100 head of cattle per section. Its range is Colorado 
and the Northwest. 
(48) Mountain Weed. —This type includes all untimbered mountain lands 
where nongrasslike species of herbaceous vegetation predominate. The principal 
species found in this type are wild geraniums, lupines, Senecio, white clover, 
dandelions, tall larkspurs, umbellifers, and Potentillas. This type is very com¬ 
mon in moist rich soils in the higher mountainous areas in Colorado and the 
Northwest. It has not been utilized for crop production, mainly on account of 
the short growing season, but provides excellent summer range for sheep, having 
a carrying capacity of from 300 to 600 head of sheep per section. 
(49) Sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata Nutt.).—The sagebrush type illus¬ 
trated by Plate 6, B, consists of a miniature forest or scattered brush land of 
sagebrush. Plants vary in height from 1 to 7 feet. This is the most common 
shrub throughout the Great Basin, growing in well-drained loamy soils. The 
height and abundance of plants are governed by the depth, quality, and moisture 
content of the soil. A dense stand of tall sagebrush is indicative of very favor¬ 
able possibilities for the production of small grains without irrigation. It rep¬ 
resents the best type of land in the Great Basin for either arid or irrigated farming. 
This type is grazed by stock, mainly sheep, during fall and winter when little or 
no herbaceous feed is available. 
( 50 ) Small Sagebrush ( Artemisia nova A. Nels.).—Plate 7 , A, illustrates this 
type, which is a lower growing sagebrush than the preceding species, ranging in 
height from 1 to 3 feet and presenting during the growing season a more yellowish 
color than the sagebrush. The range of this plant is similar to that of sagebrush, 
but it occupies a rather limited area on rocky or shallow soils. As agricultural 
land this type is far inferior to a cover of pure sagebrush. The grazing value is 
rather low, 5 to 10 head of cattle per section. 
(51) Scab Sagebrush {Artemisia rigida (Nutt.) A. Gray).—Lands containing 
a comparatively even stand of scab sagebrush, a species ranging from 1 to 2 feet 
