The Delta independent., 1900-04-13
PRICE 5 CENTS

70 the WintefR The dimcuity of DakinG
plants thrive in such lands 10 well known
to botsaists. and the fev veeetabss
grovths that fiourirh sve, ssually devoid
Of any nourishing qaaiiries N food tor
animals o: huusn beings. 7he salS
bushes are exceptions. They have tat
teuing qualities for animals that -
remarka BILE and experiments have shown
that they are equal pound for pound to
alfalfa, the feeding plant Of the West
The Australian salt bushes arc capa-
BILE Of hourishing on poor soils where
most other plants do not succeed. and
they will live in soils that contain -
high a. $1,000 to 10000 pounds Of alkali
salts to the acre. lustances arc -
record where they grown in soil impreg.
mated at the rate Of 1900 pounds a
aikaIi to the acre. On the -blsck. alkn-
III soil Of the upper San Joaqusn valIsy..
in Californis, the Atnples ssnibacsaas
was tested sscressuliy. sithosUA -
other useful plant could. ever b naGl0
TO flourish there. In fact nany a ~
species d salt bush failed 10 give sgoof
crop on this lasd uatil the show spsciae
w>o tested y
Experiments have bssn made vitA
the Australian salt bushss since 1881 IN
fha country for the puspose Of adapting
them - the great arid plains. The vslk
Known economic botanist, Baron Van
Nsellss. Arst sent the seeds Of the
Australian sak bushes to California IN
that year, sos they were planted at IL
BeskeIsy st.tion and several sub statinoD
throughout the state. For some ti0~
little psuePess was obtained. and the
plants were not accorded the popularity
their merits deserved. This was largely
because ihs right seeciss had not bsen
discovered. Yhe Atriplex semibaccata
- smsher plant than nan3 sfhsns
and is trailing rather than 10 upright
growing speciesf bu< it has nany ad-
Sant,ges over all shs othersL When
o1es established in soy sod it covers tAs-
suriaCs With vegetation. which Fsmsine
gresn until heavy frosts, n,aking .
steady growth all the time. II i pse-
suziA. and fhS roots are not killed by
the frost. but sprout up sgsin ~
following spring. II grows 10 stroag-
aIkali soil where other plants will nes
live, and in soils 90 poor that aost.
vegetation dies for the lack oe pouriah-
ment, and even 10 land where there 10 .
stid hard pan and very little summer
rain. AL these Poiu<s tend 10 make tho
plant the most valuable TO farmers and
cattle rasers in the far West that haD
been discovered in the past quarter a .
century. Ii will bring inso profitable
grazing use thousands of acres Of arid
land that has heretofore been vorshless-
The salt bush will supply excelleat
and abundant food for hogs. sheep. CIT
tie and Aorsa Throughout the long.
dry summer eeasou. it grove stsadly
and keeys green and succulent. from
two to four crops in one season can -
harvested from it. No matter hov
sligat the rainfall may be the plant
seens TO thrive and produce its abua
dant crops. Where the slhsli and the
poverty Of the soil are very decided. tho
plant dos not give its highess results.
bu, even in as n-rdifed growth the
crops il produ~es are so6Scient to sup
port q large nanber q cattle. PROM
two 10 four Cuttings u euuh hay @ake
The average yield to day in the arid
regioos where tile s.lt bush has been
established. and farmers in the arid
regions are planting the crop - fast -
they can secure sufficient seed.
The Tulare Experiment Station has
distributed in The iass few Jesrs aboot
aoOo pountis u GOD. In . fes yssro
the vide dissribosioo of the piants
should enable the farmen To pro<auce'
all the seed they gill need. and the.
plants will then become established
over . uider range Il serriiory. ne
/ f.tienins and health giving s..lisiD q
the salt bush especially rees0aso1 =
f. to the groxers u cattle sn1 shesp- -
the great Western de~erss I'D pAtQD-
The sheep not only like tbs vsUDeaaono
- fool. bot - - ssid shaa The ssioe1A
brousht sp ~ \ D~<iuce . SOD -
sspsssos as.li,y. .ish fi..s socsssliy
stsoag. gIuDy sod svsa- n % eleiOeo
b spsss sh.S the Soc yp.hsy q ohe
| Ausss.ssnn uool = Dr. ~ thr SILT oosA
F, . dsily tod. In thiD rvN,sss. boSs
ssse. suss sorc;ss % the plants ars far
| bDea0 sAso ~ eshrsA aAt Il rrnsins
I - - Ne s4p<vsaves = sssoss to sscer-
- 0hieA one WIt .N~cs the most
I Rssxs~hay- a. l. ". w S:iso06c
/ AOsrixan.