Show OUR NATIONAL PLANTS indicators OF GOOD OR POOR SOILS by professor J C hogenson i every ever country and diff different erent localities in each county have their own peculiar vegetation by which they may be characterized when these native plants are studied it Is found that they grow only under certain conditions 0 of soil moisture and climate in this way many ot of these native plants become indicators of good or poor soils ot of soils with moisture near the surface or deeper down ot of dry or wet climate and by knowing these plants A a person can form some idea at least as to advisability of 0 locating on tain lands 3 big bunch grass or giant grass elymus canden satus is known to all western people as the large coarse grass which grows grow s in bunches vary lag ing in n diameter from six inches to seven feet and in height from two to six feet the large parallel veined nar I 1 row leaves start from the ground early in the spring and remain green nearly all the summer along with every leaf that starts from the ground a stem develops which finally becomes longer than the lead and heads out into a compact rye like spike or head which bears the seed the plant grows more or less erect this grass while it is coarse has considerable economic value it if cut for hay bay before it heads beads out or it if pastured while young this grass grows on good rich fertile soil that has considerable moisture in it it will vill not grow under as dry conditions as sage brush brushy yet the land where it grows Is very good for dry farming 4 greasewood Sarco harus barus ver latus Is the native plant which grows in the lower and rather flat valleys it grows in I 1 rich soil which may or may not be more or less impregnated with white or black alkali greasewood is a tall dense growing bush green in color and very prickly to the touch it ahr thrives ives best in heavy clay soil which of course Is rather hard to work the plant has no economic value excepting that in times when grass is scarce sheep nible its leaves and its young tender stems greasewood land is not much pod good for dry farming but when when irrigated olten often makes some of 0 our best agricultural land greasewood land to make good farm land must ge hand handled led carefully and not over irrigated greasewood indicates a heavy soil rich in fertility and also the presence of alkali salts which if the land is carelessly irrigated may accumulate at the surface and injure crops utah farmer |