28 



THE SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS REGION. 



The arable laud in the region between Xew Castle, Wyo., and Eapid 

 City, S. Dak., is contined to the valleys and creek bottoms which lie 

 between the difterent ridges in the Black Hills uplieaval. The crops 

 raised are about the same as at Belle Fourche and along the eastern 

 foothills. It appears to be the practice in localities here as at Belle 

 Fourche to seed for a crop of grain, and if the yield does not promise 

 well it is cut for hay before it becomes thoroughly ripened. Some very 



fine crops of alfalfa, wheat, and 

 oats were seen in Spring Creek 

 Valley. Eedtop and timothy 

 are common on the larger areas 

 of low ground. Eedto]) is espe- 

 cially abundant, and there was 

 a fine crop of hay in Rapid 

 Creek Yalley to the southwest 

 of Rapid City. 



The climatic conditions are in 

 marked contrast with those at 

 a lower elevation. Harvesting 

 was in jirogress in the vicinity 

 of Belle Fourche the 1st of 

 August, but I'O or 25 days later, 

 when the party crossed the 

 Black Hills on their return trip, 

 a great deal of wheat and oats 

 were still green. Only about one- 

 half of the crop through the hills 

 had been cut at this late date. 

 A beautiful arrangement of 

 native grasses is found along 

 the foothills near Rapid City. 

 There are a great many cattle 

 pastured here, and the grasses 

 are conse(piently kept eaten 

 down ([uite closely. There are 

 three species, which form a perfect sod in places. The country is roll- 

 ing — sometimes hilly. In the depressions are patches of ground several 

 acres in extent which are as smooth as though they had been laid 

 out by artificial means. On these areas are full sods of blue grama 

 {Bouteloua oli(fostachya), black grama {B. hirsiita), and builalo-grass 

 [Bnlbilis (lactyloides) (see fig. 5), arranged in natural lawns, as it were, 

 according to nature's own fantastic designs. It made a very pretty 

 siiiht. Xo artificial lawn could be more desinible. The color of the 

 grasses, so similar and yet so delicately ditVerent that each species 

 growing in separate patches could be recognized at a considerable dis- 



FiG. 5.— Bufl'alo-grass {Bulbilis dactyloides) : a, female 

 plant ; b, male plant ; a', two dusters of female spike- 

 lets; h', a branch of several staminato spikelets; 

 c, a male or stamlnate spikelet of two dowers. 



