28 



caiiyoiis Wood Meadow-grass {Poa nemoralh) is sibniidaiit. as is 

 Buucli Ked-lop (Z*oa /;?<('A-/e^a//rf Nasii). These species are not so 

 valuable as Poa irolfii Scribuer, which is common in dry woods in 

 Clear Creek Canyon, where it is one of the more important grasses. 

 Poa lettennannii is common above timber line on Pikes Peak. 

 Poa rupcsiris is likewise common. These jioas constitute some of 

 the most valuable grasses in all of the mountain meadows. Poa 



ivheeleri Vasey is another 

 valuable grass of this genus 

 found at an altitude of 7,800 

 feet. Mountain Spear-grass 

 {T\ alpina), at an altitude 

 of 10,000 feet to timber 

 line, forms a large cluster of 

 leaves close to the ground. 

 Millets {('ha'tocMoa italica and 

 var. germanica). No other 

 grasses are so productive 

 on Iowa soil as the millets. 

 Some farmers sow these 

 grasses every year. As a 

 rule, however, they are sown 

 as "catch crops" in the lat- 

 ter part of June or early 

 July, when by Sei)tember 

 a good crop of hay can 

 be made. Some faruiers are 

 prejudiced against the mil- 

 lets because of the danger to 

 stock when consuming larg'e 

 quantities of seed. When 

 rightly luanaged, there need 

 be little danger from this 

 source. ]\lillets are exten- 

 sively grown in both eastern 

 and western Nebraska. They 

 do well in nearly all parts of 

 the State. Fine fields were 



Fifi. 8. — Oicliardgriis.s (Dacli/lin <jloiiieinfa): a, a 

 spikelet witli one of the florets exi)an(lf<l in flower; 

 h. tln' fliii-ft : r, the (lower, consistin^j of tlirce sta- 

 iiiciia and pistil with two feathery stigmas ; <l. the 

 njiper i)oi-tioii of the leaf shentli and the lower 

 jiortion of the leaf blade, showing ligule; e, section 

 (if the stem or culm at one of the nodes; ],node 

 pro]ier; 2, the swelling enlargement of the basiil 

 portion of the leaf sheath. 



noted near Omaha, Crete, and 

 Hastings, and also near McCook, at an altitude of 2,500 feet. 

 Needle-grass {Stipa cumata Trin. & Kupr.) is connnon in Nebraska 

 about McCook and westward, at an altitude of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. 

 This grass grows on the high prairies. It is of forage value only 

 under the same conditions as Porcupine-grass. In Colorado it is 

 common in places in the foothills about Golden, Fort Collins, and 

 Coloiado Springs. It is not so valuable as Feather Bunch-grass, 

 but adds to tlic list of plants available for forage purposes. 



