The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-09
EXPERIMENTS GARFIELD
ON BY FOREST SERVICE

In connection with the bureau Of
plant industry of The department Of
agriculture, the forest service has been
carrying on a series of experiments
relative to the reseeding of over
grazed areas upon the national forests
in the west
Among other important forage
plants selected for experimental work
is the common alfilaria tErodium
cicutarium) OF the southwestern deS-
eTt country This splendid forage
plant grows all over the deserts Of
southern California, Arizona and New
Mexico and furnishes one of the best
plants for fattening livestock. espec.
tally sheep, known TO the stockmen.
1t grows in the early spring when
green feed is most desirable and in
a few weeks will cover the desert
with rich green blanket until il looks
almost like an alfalfa field. Tne plant
generally reaches a maximum height
OF from eight TO ten inches inside of
six weeks and in six weeks more has
all died down and blown away, leay-
ing the ground rs bare as a floor. The
seeds Of this plant have been carried
from California, in the wool of mi
grating sneep. into the adjoining
states. but while it viii grow at high
attitudes 1t does not reach any great
height above an elevation Of 5000 feet
The first obstacle the government
experts ran against was the lmpossi-
bllity of obtaining seed in the open
markets that would germlnate, the
seed commands high price and Is
hard 10 obtain, but Of samples pur-
| chased from various seed houses the
terminating power was never higher
than Is per cent and the average Of
several samples was about per cent
In order TO determine, Is possible,
wnere the fault lay in the non-germIn-
| atIng power OF the seeds purchased.
| the forest service sent one Of its plant
experts. Arthur ". Sampson into the
field in southern California, where al
nlaria was known to be most abund-
ant, with orders to gather seed Of this
plant and make a careful study OF
the conditions governing its growth.
This has been done and II is very
evident that If the seed can be gath
cred at the proper time and under
proper conditions It viii have a high
| terminating power, Samples of the
seed gathered by Mr. Sampson showed
termination of more than 81 per
cent. which Is certainly high enough
] to be satisfactory TO any purchaser.
Mr.. Sampson has been able 10 outline
method of gathering this seed by
which one man can gather very
large amount with very little trouble,
! Enough Of the seed can be easily Sc.
cured with a high germinatlye power
J with which to make experimental
paintings on several of the national
forests where this plant would make
an admirable addition TO the local for.
age supply Alhlaria, under normal
conditions. seems TO be best in a soil
composed mostly Of decomposed gran
ite, but IT IS believed 1t Will flourish
in most light, sandy soils where there
is sufficient moisture in the early
spring TO start the growth.
Now that the forest service has
shown how TO gather the seeds there
is no doub; but that the local seed
men Will avail themselves Of the exper-
iment aud that in tho future the grade
OF seed sold by seed men VIII be of
a much better germinatlve strength.