Circular No. 38— (Agros. 77.) 



United States Department of Airricnlture, 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY, 



[Grass and Forage-Plant Investigations.] 

 F. Lamson-Scribner, Agrof 



GRASSES AND FODDER PLANTS ON THE POTOMAC ELM'S. 



During the past summer the Division of Agrostology has grown a large vari- 

 ety of native and imported gi-asses and fodder plants upon the island in the Poto- 

 mac River, which is just south of the city of Washington and locally known as 

 the "Potomac Flats." The soil consists of dredgings from the river bed and is 

 very rich. It is an ideal place for growing the coarser annual fodder plants and 

 has afforded an interesting field for studying the new perennial grasses and clo- 

 vers, both of native varieties and those imported from foreign countries through 

 the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction of this Department and grown here 

 for the first time. The behavior of a number of grasses from oiu- Southwestern 

 States and Territories is especially worthy of note. 



Curly mesquite, from the plains of Texas and Arizona, made a wonderful 

 gi'owth and produced a large crop of seed; turnip grass, from New Mex- 

 ico, made a surprisingly rich growth and seeded heavily ; water grass exhibited 

 a growth which maintains for it all the claims which have been made respecting 

 its forage value ; and sprangle, a native of Texas and regions west of that State, 

 promises to be one of the most productive and finest hay grasses grown on our 

 trial grounds. A number of species from Australia have manifested a ready 

 adaptability to our climatic conditions and on the soil of the Flats grew finely. 

 Button grass from the interior plains of South Australia grew with remarkable 

 vigor and seeded most abundantly. It is not unlikely that this grass may have 

 high value for portions of the warmer and drier regions of the Southwest. 

 Mitchell grass, another Australian species, regarded by stockmen in the interior 

 of New South Wales as one of the best of all native grasses both for its drought- 

 endtiring qualities and its fattening properties, made a vigorous growth and 

 appeared to be perfectly at home in its new surroundings. Bermuda grass, the 

 king of pasture grasses for the South, grew readily from seed sowni early in the 

 season and made a most luxuriant growth, the mass of leaves and stems cover- 

 ing the ground knee-deep with a rich bed of pasturage. A number of the Aus- 

 tralian saltbushes grew finely and showed great possibilities for forage produc- 

 tion of their class. The growth of the clovers and alfalfa was inferior compared 

 with that of the grasses, but the vetches and different varieties of peas and beans 

 succeeded well, while such plants as Kafir com, several varieties of pearl millet 

 and teosinte grew with great vigor and yielded an astonishing amount of forage, 

 especially the last named. A detailed report by Mr. C. R. Ball, assi.stant in the 

 Division, who had charge of the work of the Division on the Flats, is here pre- 

 sented and its publication recommended, not only for the interest attached to 

 the several species cultivated, but to place the work on record.— F. Lamson- 

 Scribner. 



