. Bulletin. Gramineae -- United States; Forage plants -- United States. 67 THE BITTER SAGES. The bitter sages, or sage-brusbes, are most of tbem so bitter that stock will not eat them as a general thing, except in times of scarcity of forage. Sheep eat the sagebrush more often than do any other of the domestic animals. They do not make a general diet of it, but eat small quantities now and then, as if for a tonic or appetizer. Bud brush or spring sage {Artemisia spinescens) is probably the most valu- able of this group of sages. It is most abundant in the Eed Desert of Wyoming, and extends int
. Bulletin. Gramineae -- United States; Forage plants -- United States. 67 THE BITTER SAGES. The bitter sages, or sage-brusbes, are most of tbem so bitter that stock will not eat them as a general thing, except in times of scarcity of forage. Sheep eat the sagebrush more often than do any other of the domestic animals. They do not make a general diet of it, but eat small quantities now and then, as if for a tonic or appetizer. Bud brush or spring sage {Artemisia spinescens) is probably the most valu- able of this group of sages. It is most abundant in the Eed Desert of Wyoming, and extends into the arid regions to the southwest. The masses of young leaves and flowers are much relished by sheep, and the plant is regarded as an impor- tant member of the forage produc- ing species of the desert. Silvery sage {A. canit) is probably the next most valuable of the bitter sages. When browsed closely it produces a great many annual shoots, which are quite succulent and are eaten by sheep to a considerable extent. THE SALT-SAGES. The salt sages are of much more importance as forage jdants than the bitter sages. There are more than a dozen species native to this region, and all are of value for for- age. In some sections, as in central Wyoming and in the Ked Desert, these salt-sages, or "salt-bushes," furnish more of the forage than all the other plants combined. The kinds of most importance in this region are Xuttall's salt sage {Atri- plcx nuttalUi), spiny salt-sage {A. confertifolia)^ hoary salt-sage, or shad scale {A. canescens) (see Hg. 27), Ifelson's salt-sage {), sil- very salt-sage {A. argenteAi), tumbling salt-sage [A. volutans), and spreading salt sage {A. expansa). All are annuals except the first three, which are perennials and are of especial importance for winter pastur- age. The leaves, fruits, and young shoots are relished by all kinds of stock. Of the three, ISTuttairs salt-sage is probably the most valuable. The salt-sages thrive on land
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