The Florence tribune., 1901-06-08
The Australian sat0ush in Arizona.
-IDenyer Times.


 The Australian Sathush in Arizona.
 The saltbushes of Australia are very i numerous as would be expected from the alkaline arid conditions which pre- vail over large areas of that island continent. Many of them have been introduced into this country, and have been received with varying degrees of favor in the several arid sections of the | western United States. However, only one (Atriplex semibaccata) has been universally appreciated. For this req son one is allowed to speak of this plant as the Australian saltbush.
 Although spoken of as "bush," it forms under favorable conditions for its development, large quantities of quite succulent forage which. is read fly eaten by either horses, cattle or sheep. It is much less woody than the common 'sages" of southern Ariz- ona, to which it is closely related and furnishes much larger as well as much moro succulent growth. Like them it is a perennial and therefore does not require reseeding except at long intervals, unless it be pastured too closely. At the same time, it pro- 9uces an abundant supply of seed that germinates readily in this region at any time of the year when there is suf- ffcient moisture and in any but our | coldest weather. One plant has been known to produce a "bush" one to two feet high and three to five feet in { diameter in a single year. When il first appears above the ground, it has two small elongated leaves at the ex- tremity of short stem which is often tinged with red. In this stage it closely resent nbles the troublesome pig weeds to which it is not distantly re- lated. But it may soon be distin- guished from these by the subsequent leaves, which are somewhat oval in out line and have sparsely toothed margins, as well as by the red pulpy fruit which is abundantly produced from August to Decem per.
 The experiments which have been conducted with this plant in this Ter ritory are quite encouraging, and at least warrant further Investigations. Ca the University campus at Tucson, where the caliche comes within l2 to { IS inches of the surface of the ground it has made quite a respectable growth : during the year with artificial water ing. The conditions here give it rath- CT severe test, for it thrives best, ac- co-ding to all reports, in deep loamy soil. It IS highly recommended for ditch banks where the soil washes E badly, as its prostrate stems growing ] in a thick mat on the ground interfere 7 quite effectually with the erosive action of water.
 t Mr. J. T. Hildreth, of Stafford, Ari- 3 zona, has had remarkable success in s growing this plant. In recent letter f in answer to an inquiry, he expresses D the belief that it is far superior to any } thing yet introduced in his locality for : the improvement of the range. He hal - already seeded acres and will put in considerable more the coming season. r This station planted little less thar 7 an acre in January. This is now up
 and looking well. Of course these ex
 periments are simply indicative, ant by no means prove that plant will b' 70 valuable one in this Territory. The. V are, however, encouraging, and sug :. g-st that ranchers may improve theii
 native range by a judicions introduc- ' ticn of this dry land saltbush.
 70 In view of the necessity of fndint
 some crop which will produce winte " and spring feed, it has been though
 wise to offer the ranchers and farm " CTS an opportunity to determine fo themselves what this plant will do i :, their immediate vicinity. We nov have reason to believe from Mr. Hi '' dreth's experiments and our own tha
 the plant will be valuble one for tn
 vicinity of Stafford, but it is well know e- that the conditions in the Territor E. are very diverse, and it will be nece u, sary to test the matter in many local = ,;ae hafora nnv aytended recommend, I tion can be made. The Station ca nd test the matter only to limited e, as tent, and is doing so now in eight | te calities in southern Arizona; but by plant of such promise should be fn
 ther investigated.