I’ve heard that tumbleweeds are not native to this country. Is that correct? Richard Rodriguez Granton, Wisconsin You’re right on target. The Russians accidentally brought it along with them in the 1870s. Seeds of salsola kali, or Russian thistle, got mixed up in the sacks of flax seed the immigrants brought with them to the Northern Plains. After its introduction in South Dakota, the tumbleweed quickly spread across the arid Western territories and states. Other species of tumbleweed

July 2010
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
More In This Issue
- Wichita Whore War
- Crossed Sabres
- Why does Virgil Earp get so little credit as an Old West lawman?
- Are tumbleweeds not native to America?
- What did a cowboy do with his rifle when it was illegal to carry them into towns?
- Did cowboys really pull pack animals by holding a rope tied to their saddle horn?
- When did belt loops become common?
- How did the Mountain Men cook beaver tails?
- Stay on Target When Collecting Gun Shots
- Dreams of Gold on the Starvation Trail
- Calgary’s “Exotic” Stampede
- Joe McNeill
- Bandera, Texas
- The Digital Frontier
- Ethnic Fare
- The Functional Side of Cowboy Boots
- What’s in His Head?
- The Best BBQ Joints in Texas