9 



Plat C (14). — Ktu'sk millet {Chcetochloa italica). Seed from the Section of 

 Seed and Plant Introduction, No. 2798. Thirty-one rows drilled Jnne 16. Sprout- 

 ed and up June 24. July 27, very thick; one foot high. August 1, headed out 

 sixteen to eighteen inches high. Damaged somewhat by hot winds. Heads 

 one to three inches long. Eight quarts of seed were saved. 



SUMMARY. 



The preceding notes record the results of the season's work at 

 Highmore, S. Dak. There are a few conditions which must be 

 kept in mind in studying the results. The land slopes from west 

 toward the east, the west side of the Station being a dry ridge. The 

 land had "gone back" and had not been plowed for six or seven 

 years and had become full of foul seeds. Russian thistles, pigeon 

 grass, and western wheat grass had complete possession of the 

 ground. The plats sown broadcast could not be weeded and the 

 young plants had to contend against the weeds without aid. The 

 annuals (corn, rape, vetches, etc.) did not yield as well as they un- 

 doubtedly would have, had the ground been cultivated for the past 

 four or five years. The land was packed from the trampling of 

 stock and when plowed was lumpy and could not be made into a 

 satisfactory seed bed in so short a time. The season also was pecul- 

 iar. A study of the moisture records will show that while there was 

 the usual amount -of rainfall it came early and late in the season and 

 July was both dry and windy. 



The pressing need of this section of the country is winter feed, 

 either hay, fodder, or pasture. Some of the bunch grasses from the 

 higher altitudes in Wyoming and Montana, such as bunch redtop 

 {Poa buckleyana) and smooth bunch grass {Poa Icevigata) give 

 much promise for winter pasture, while Nevada blue grass {Poa 

 nevadensis) and King's fescue {Festuca kingii) give promise of 

 both hay and pasture. The frost does not affect them until very 

 late in the season. The favorable growth and behavior of smooth 

 brome grass {Bromus inerinis) this year as well as previous experi- 

 ence here and elsewhere in the Northwest with this grass shows it 

 to be a good hay and pasture grass. On the highest, driest ground 

 of the Station it made a good stand and kept green and thrifty dur- 

 ing the driest weather. Oregon brome has made a fine showing and 

 deserves a thorough trial on account of its excellent yield of seed and 

 forage, and drought-resistant qualities. The native wheat grasses 

 furnish the larger percentage of the hay in this section and under 

 cultivation and favorable conditions will undoubtedly increase in 

 productiveness. 



One of the results of the investigation of the forage problem of 

 the northwestern ranges is a demonstration of the need of united and 

 continued effort along the line of experimentation designed to test 

 the adaptability of the various native and introduced grass and 



