22 



leaves and a more scaut growth. It flowers early, and lience when 

 hay is cut it is i)ast its season. 

 Bushy Blue-Stem {Aitdropoijon nutans L.) is a tall perennial found in 

 open woods and prairies in Iowa and eastern Nebraska, but is less 

 common tlian the otlier blue-stems. It is cut late in the season, 

 usually in August or September, because then more easily made 

 into hay. The hay is palatable and nutritious, and euros well. 



Though the quantity 

 would be less if cut by 

 the middle of August, 

 the quality would be 

 superior. 

 California Oat-grass {Dan- 

 thonia calif o mica) is 

 abundant in the pine 

 woods and meadows of 

 northern Colorado at au 

 altitude of 8,000 feet. It 

 grows in bunches from 

 1 to 3 feet high, has 

 soft foliage, and is one 

 of the valuable moun- 

 tain grasses. It is much 

 eaten by stock, and forms 

 a considerable element 

 in the forage of the 

 mountain "parks" and 

 meadows. 



Colorado Blue-Stem (yl //>'<>- 



piiron spiraUim) is one of 

 the two valuable grasses 

 of this genus that are 

 native to Iowa. It is 

 common on the loess in 

 Avestern Iowa, where it 

 is used for both hay and 

 l)asturage. As an intro- 

 duced i)lant it is now 

 common at many points 

 in central Iowa and is spreading rapidly. In Iowa it grows more 

 vigorously than it does in Nebraska, where it attains a height from 

 2 to 4 feet. It is bluish green in color, with somewhat harsh leaves. 

 The thriftiness of this grass in new meadows as well as in the 

 vicinity of plowed ground indicates that an occasional stirring is 

 beneficial. I am assured that it is not difficult to start a good 

 meadow of this grass in two or three years on plowed ground. It 



Fio. 5.— rrealiwatcr (Joril jirass {Spartina cuitosvioulea) . 

 a, spik(4i>l sliowiuK three stamens; ^.spikelet sliowiug' 

 the )irojecting stigmas of the pistil ; c, the sauio with the 

 outer gliiines removed. 



