217 



4 



but It has been collected by others in the Pan Handle country 

 and in northeast New Mexico. In his mention of the principal 

 pasture grasses of the plateaus of New Mexico, Dr. O. Leow 

 (Surveys W. of the looth Meridian, Rep. 1875, p. 137) says noth- 

 ing of the Buffalo Grass. 



I It seems to have still a good footing in the western part of 



the Indian Territory, being reported as abundant about Fort 

 Supply. 



An accredited writer in the Agricultural Report for 1870, 

 describing the "Grasses of the plains and eastern slope of the 

 Rocky Mountains/' states that the Buchloc daciyloidcs as to 

 quantity, stands fifth in the Missouri River region, and eighth in 

 the Rocky Mountain region. I am persuaded that it should 

 occupy a much lower place in the former region, where it is 

 practically absent. 



In conclusion, we may say that the Buchloc is a widespread 

 grass, still forming a valuable element of many of the grazing 

 ranges of the western plains ; but that it is not at all the ubiquitous 

 plant, the chief and most important food of the past buffalo or 

 present cattle which we have been made to believe. There exists 



I 



a pretty general and well founded opinion that it was formerly 

 more widespread and plentiful, hav^ing, during the past twenty 

 years, receded from many regions; yet, this admitted, I cannot 

 think that it has ever been as exclusively abundant as commonly 

 believed. The interest which it aroused in botanists on account 

 of the curious separation of the sexes, may be partly responsible 

 for the utilitarian importance it assumed. Again, I doubt not 

 that it has often been confounded with species of Grama by hur- 

 ried or incompetent observers. 



It may be interesting to glance at the influences militating 

 against the growth and spread of a plant apparently so well fitted by 

 nature for the struggle of hTe on the arid plains of the West, and 

 causing, as alleged, its gradual disappearance. There have not 

 been such marked chansres in climatic conditions as would operate 

 lor or against it. There is, I know, a spreading belief that the 

 increased rainfall of late years is accountable for its decline, but I 

 ^m in a position to state, rather positively, after a careful compar- 

 ison of statistics, that in the last fifteen years there has been no 



