Saltbushes. Page: 5
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SALTBTUS IES.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The saltbushes are herbaceous or shrubby, usually much-branched
plants, and show remarkable adaptation to arid, saline, or alkali-impregnated
soils. Many kinds are now in cultivation, both native and foreign.
Among the most important foreign varieties introduced into this country
are Australian saltbush, slender saltbush, gray saltbush, roundleafed
saltbush, annual or bladder saltbush, all natives of Australia.
The American species of economic value are shad scale, Nuttall's salt
sage, spiny salt sage, scrub saltbush, Utah saltbush, tumbling saltbush,
and Nelson's saltbush. There are about forty species of saltbushes
belonging to the genus Atriplex in the Western States some of
which will undoubtedly prove to be as valuable as those introduced
from Australia. They are known to be hardy as regards cold as well
as resistant to alkali and drought, and are highly valued for grazing
in alkali districts where little or no other vegetation exists.
The amount of salts occurring in soils varies from 1 per cent to over
12 per cent, or, otherwise expressed, the content may rise as high as
500,000 pounds per acre-foot, but is commonly found to range from
about 5,000 to 40,000 pounds. The resistance to, or tolerance of, the
several salts by the plants varies greatly for different plants and different
salts. Thus the plants of the goosefoot family proper, the beet,
spinach, samphire, saltwort, and the saltbushes generally, endure
very large amounts of all the salts, while, on the other extreme, the
legumes, clovers, peas, beans, vetches, etc., resent even small amounts
of any of the salts.
The entire sunflower family is rather tolerant of "alkali," while
most of the cultivated grasses are quite sensitive, chiefly owing to their
shallow rooting, which exposes them to the evil effects of alkali on the
surface.
DISTRIBUTION OF SEED.
Since 1896 this division has sent out 248 packages of Atriplex saltbushes
seed to different experimenters throughout the United States.
Twenty-nine different States are represented in this distribution. In
many instances requests for seed have been made more out of curiosity
to see the new forage plant spoken of so highly in the agricultural
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United States. Department of Agriculture. Saltbushes., book, 1900; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6435/m1/5/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.