UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



£> 



IN 



AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES 



Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 1-24, plates 1-8 j uly | 3 I917 



NEW GRASSES FOR CALIFORNIA. I 



PHALARIS STENOPTEh'A HACK. 



BY 



T. B. KENNEDY 



A survey of the soil and climatic conditions of California soon 

 revealed the fact that most of our grasses, the seed of which is now 

 procurable on the market, could not establish themselves ami produce 

 a strong sod on lands not susceptible of irrigation. Over Large areas 

 of the state there are good soils receiving moisture only in the form 

 of rain on which there is no green pasturage for stock soon after the 

 rains cease. This condition may set in as early in the season as May 

 1, and may continue during some seasons into November or even 

 December. Therefore a perennial grass that will withstand the winter 

 temperatures as well as the long, dry season in the great central 

 valleys would be of great value to the live-stock industry of ( lalifornia. 

 Recent investigations and experiments lead me to believe that 1 have 

 found such a grass. 



Several years ago an illustration of a grass in a trial plol in a 

 seedsman's catalogue from South Africa attracted the author's atten- 

 tion. The report of its behavior under conditions of heavy frosts and 

 long droughts made it appear that it might prove valuable under 

 California conditions. Sufficient seed was purchased to sow one- 

 twentieth of an acre only, as it was too costly to he considered 

 in larger quantities. It Avas called perennial canary era—, or Too- 

 woomba grass, Phalaris bulbosa. Perhaps the most authentic account 

 of the introduction of this grass is to he found in the following letter 

 received from Mr. R. R. Harding, curator of the botanic gardens, 

 Toowoomba, Queensland. 



