110 
J our rial of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVIII, No. 2 
As a rule, part of its moisture supply comes from flood water. It is good grazing 
land but nonagricultural, except with drainage and careful irrigation. It has a 
carrying capacity of 20 to 40 head of cattle per section. 
(5S) Winter-fat ( Eurotia lanata (Pursh.) Moq.).—A representative winter- 
fat type is shown on Plate 9, B, consisting of a scattering growth of winter-fat 
with little or no other species of vegetation. The winter-fat plants are very 
white and hairy and range in height from 3 to 12 inches and occasionally more. 
On account of its white appearance it is sometimes called white sage. This 
species grows on rather heavy soils in the more arid sections of the West, where 
it occupies rather a large area. It indicates land unsuitable for agriculture 
unless irrigated. Winter-fat is especially palatable and nutritious to sheep and 
supplies considerable forage on the winter ranges. In the Great Basin it is 
probably the best grazing land to be found in the desert regions. 
(59) White Sage, also known as Green Molly ( Kochia americana S. Wats.).— 
Lands are classified in this type which contain an open to scattering growth of 
white sage, a low plant, seldom exceeding 6 inches in height, having hairy round 
leaves that are more fleshy than those of winter-fat. It resembles winter-fat in 
general appearance, although it is not grazed to any appreciable extent. This 
type is not widely distributed throughout western Utah and Nevada, growing in 
heavy clay-loam soils. It is of doubtful agricultural value and of little grazing 
value. 
(60) Coleogyne ( Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.).—This type, illustrated by 
Plate 10, A, consists of an even growth of Coleogyne and a scattering of cliff- 
rose (Cowania stansburiana Torr), shrub buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), 
and tomatilla (Lycium pallidum (Miers). A very common type in the desert 
area of northwestern Arizona, southeastern California, southwestern Utah, and 
southern Nevada, where it occupies a region between that characterized by 
creosotebush and sagebrush. It usually grows in dry, porous desert soils. The 
land is of no value for crop production unless irrigated, when it is very valuable 
owing to the long growing season of the region it occupies. Coleogyne has no 
value for forage, so the type has a very low carrying capacity for livestock. 
(61) Grease wood ( Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook.) Torr.).—This species, 
shown by Plate 10,B, is limited to subirrigated alkali lands throughout the West. 
The leaves of this plant are fleshy and the stems woqdj 7 and spiny, ranging in 
height from 1 to 5 feet. The leaves are bright green in color and have a salty 
taste. This plant is a good indicator of lands having a rather heavy concen¬ 
tration of alkali. Under the proper system of irrigation land of this type will 
produce good crops, but unless drainage is supplied it is likely to develop excess 
quantities of alkali* The young branches of greasewood are readily grazed by 
sheep and cattle, especially during the winter. 
(62) Greasewood-Shadscale. —The greasewood-shadscale type consists of 
an even scattered growth of shadscale with an occasional scattering of plants of 
greasewood. It occurs on rather heavy alkaline soils in the Great Basin region, 
especially in Utah and Nevada. Under irrigation it can become productive if 
drained, but without irrigation it is worthless for crop production. It is rela¬ 
tively poor grazing land, mainly valuable as winter range for sheep, with a carry¬ 
ing capacity of 25 to 75 head of sheep per section. 
(63) Greasewood, Salt Sage. —This type is commonly found in compara¬ 
tively heavy alkali lands throughout western Wyoming and the Great Basin. It 
is composed of a very even scattered growth of salt sage over which at rather 
wide intervals occur large plants of greasewood. Its agricultural possibilities 
are similar to Type (55) but it has a larger amount of moisture penetration or 
possibly subsoil moisture. The grazing value is similar to the preceding type. 
(64) Greasewood, Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene).—Areas con¬ 
taining scattered plants of greasewood on a sod formed by saltgrass are classified 
