29 



tance, the splendid sod, and the pleasing general effect suggested the 

 jwssible use that might be made of these grasses for lawns, borders, and 

 designs about dwellings, public buildings, and cemeteries. 



RAPID CITY TO PIERRE. 



Nowhere on the trip was better feed found than along the trail from 

 Rapid City to Pierre. No pasturing had been done here except at 

 certain points, as Pceno Tlills and Grindstone Buttes. This is due mainly 

 to the fact that our route lay along the divide, where water is scarce. It 

 was the intention of the party to take the Bad River road, and they 

 would have done so had they not been informed that everything was 

 pastured closely all the way. Blue grama {Bouteloua olujostacliya) makes 

 a fine growth here and was nice and green the 1st of September. Con- 

 siderable hay was being put up in the eastern portion of the region. It 

 consisted principally of Western wheat-grass {Agropyron splcatum) and 

 blue grama [Boutelona oligostachya), together with some feather bunch- 

 grass {Stipa viridula) and needle-grass {8. comata). In the "draws" 

 there is more of the Agrojjyron and less of the Boutelona. In the larger 

 draws there is a good growth of big cord-grass {Spartina cynositroides) 

 and on the knolls a light growth of big sand-grass {Calamovilfa longi- 

 folia). 



At Pierre the cattlemen were much exercised over the fact that the 

 grass on the range was so backward in ripening. They were fearful 

 lest it should remain green until frost struck it, thereby leaving their 

 winter feed in poor condition. They were therefore well pleased with 

 the hot, dry weather which prevailed during the first ten days in Sep- 

 tember. 



CULTIVATED GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



The failure of the ranges to sux^ply sufficient forage for all seasons of 

 the year has led to an Increased effort on the part of the stockmen and 

 farmers to cultivate the various standard grass and forage crops. In 

 many instances experiments have been made with the different novel- 

 ties introduced and sold by seedsmen or distributed g; atuitously by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. As was to be expected, the 

 old and so-called ''tame'' grasses have refused to accommodate them- 

 selves to the extreme conditions of soil and climate prevailing in some 

 parts of the region, and while a few of the newly introduced plants have 

 proved valuable, many others have shown themselves to be practically 

 worthless. The '' tame " grasses most commonly found in meadows and 

 pastures are timothy, redtop, Kentucky blue grass, smooth or Hun- 

 garian brome-grass, meadow fescue, and orchard grass. The millets 

 and the various small grains are quite generally grown for summer for- 

 age and for hay, and corn and the sorghums, both saccharine and non- 

 saccharine varieties, are occasionally grown for fodder. Nearly all the 



