218 



increased precipitation over the area where the Buffalo Grass is 



most at home. Two circumstances, however, now exist and have 



existed only recently, which may act injuriously upon this plant, 



namely, the extinction of the buffalo and the marked decrease of 



prairie fires. The Buffalo Grass withstands the treading of herds 



with perfect impunity; nay, such treading, by tamping the 



ground around the wandering stolons, secures better rooting and 



stronger growth ; not so, however, with other plants against which 



the Buffalo Grass must compete, and which are destroyed by the 



tramping of herds. With the disappearance of the buffalo, these 



competitors have been gaining strength and, by their larger and 



longer roots, are steadily driving their weaker sister from the field. 



In a like manner, we may assume that prairie fires did little 



harm to the Buffalo Grass, owing to its low stature, while they 



were injurious to the plants which are now taking its place. 



The worst fault of the Buffalo Grass is that, not content with 

 its own merits, it has long usurped, in our esteem, the place of a 

 far more valuable plant, the grass par excellence which fed the 

 buffalo and which, to-day, should, facile princeps, command the 



t of all the raisers of cattle beyond the Missouri River. I 

 refer to the common Grama [Boiiteloua oligostnckyayl^ orv.) The 

 Grama is found everywhere, the prevailing, predominant, ubiqui- 



fc> 



M 



Pacific Coast, and from the British Possessions to Mexico, 

 forming the bulk of the best sod of all the prairie regions of the 

 Western States and Territories, and constituting the best natural 

 resource of several of them. For it I ask, at least, the attention 

 and regard bestowed upon the less worthy Buffalo Grass. 



Botanical Notes. 



Concerning Nome7iclaUire. — The editor of the Botanical Ga- 

 zette suggests that at the forthcoming meeting of the A. A. A. S. 

 the pending differences of opinion as to the laws of nomenclature 

 should be taken up and "settled." While the proposition to 

 "settle" this question is somewhat ambitious, and one on which 

 that portion of the scientific world not represented in the A. A. 

 A. S. might wish to be heard, the idea of making it the subject 

 of earnest discussion is a most excellent one. It is just possible 



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