Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-05-27
TRIPLETr ON ALFILERIO.
Something of Interest TO Nevada
StOclmen.

The Reno Gazette has the following
which will prove of special interes. TO the
cattlemen of this section:
The Carson Appeal recently ~truthfully
said that the question of grasses for the
soil of this State is a very important one
for stock growers" Being prompted by
the desire TO get more light on the matter
of so much interest, snd to learn more OF
what is known as ~tilaree, a Gazette re-
porter interviewed Mr.. Triplett, the intel
ligent representative of the Nevada Cattle
Association, who possesses as much practi-
cal knowledge of grasses as any man in
the State, aud that gentleman frankly an
sWered the questions with which the re.
porter piled him.
Reporter-The question OF the growing
Of hlaree is being discussed to a certain ex-
tent, and the Gazette would like TO hear
your views as to its merits as food for ami
mails.
Mr.. Triplett-The name OF the grass is
not flaree, but alhlerio. 1t is we'll known
in California, and was there recognized as
the most nutritious of grasses by the
Spanish long before gold was discovered,
and the natives long ago knew that their
horses and cattle would leave their native
grasses and take to alflerio were 1t TO be
reached. Animals like it better than any
other food, either green or cured, OF which
l have any knowledge-that Is OF the grass
kind.
R.-What do you know of its c~ultiva-
tion?
Mr.. T.-Well, it is not cultivated. 1t, !
might say, is indigenous. 1t will grow any
where, but will grow better on dry and
arid land than on bottom lands. The
rankest growth that | have seen have been
on dry hard abandoned corrals and IN
travelled roads. You will find it in Cali
fornia growing on the hard ballasted rail-
road tracks. and 10 places where one would
think that it would be impossible for q nu-
~tritiye grass TO grow. 1t will successfully
grow ia and upon the most barren mount
aims.
R-Has it been introduced in Nevada.
Mr.. T.-Yes; years ago in Lander
county, north Of Austin, l got hold of a
handful and sowed it on a space probably
six inches square. 1t grew and the seed
was drifted by the wind, and to-day 1t is
scattered over thousands OF acres OF that
section. George Watts now owns a large
sheep range covered with alhlerio, and he
values it more highly than any other grass
for sheep. They do not kill it ont. Eaten
off, never so close, it makes its appearance
again in the c Spring.
Reps the seed easily obtained2
Mr.. T.-No, il is very difficult to get.
I'll give $40 for a pound OF good seed. In
thrashing it the seed is lost aud the chaff
Ia saved. While the seed is difficult to get,
the grass will grow if transplanted, and a
| a little will soon cover a large tract.
Rep.-What is the popularity OF the
seed ?
Mr.. Towing to the peculiar shape
| of the pod, it ia often called pin
| clover. The pin is the pod which contains
the seed and is from an inch to an inch
and a half in length. When ripe this pod
ia very brittle and falls off, and to the germ
of the seed is an s%ppendsge, a long fbrous
! substance which coils, making a perfect
, spiral when dried and strengthening out
when dsmpened. When the grass is ripe
| and thoroughly dried it is easily broken at
the Joints and carried by the wind scatter
ing these coils and seeds az it goes along.
These coils cause the seeds to be easily
caught and held on passing over a rough
surface. and once caught it stays.
R.-Has a~lilerio any of the Characters
tics of tickle grass?
Mr. T.-No; none. The stock OF the
tickle grass is very tough and fibrous, and
the head in many respects Is similar 20
f~ox-tail; not even q goat VIII cav u lug
stem of this grass is large and coarse
bearing a small flower when in bloom, is
less fibrous and more nutritious, either
green or dried, than alfalfa, and we're the
two placed in the same manger, either
horses or cattle will Gull out the sltilerlo
before they will touch the alfalfa. This l
know from making the test.
R.--Do you know of any OF this grass
near Reno?
Mr.. T.-Yes, last year / found a very
few stocks of it below tho cattle yards, not
to exceed a dozen, and now 1t Is springlhs
up over two or three acres. 1t Is nortn OF
town aud east, in and about Dun Glen'
Humboldt county. on the ranges where
sheen have been fed that were driven from
California. They carried the seed IN their
wool evidently. and thus have given 'ne
grass a start in the localities where they
have been grazed. a
R.-Then you think the grass is to De
courted rather than fought.
Mr.. T.-Most emphatically 30. Inc in-
troductiou of slflerio in Nevada viii prove
a great source of profit to the sheep ana
cattle men, and its spred should DO Gu
couraged by all.
Gathering wild flowers affords CONSIDER
ohlo nIaaeura IN a number of young tolks