37 



able development. Almost everywhere aloug roadsides, in waste places, 

 and in pastures could be seen the masses of white blossoms. Pastures 

 in which scarcely an appreciable amount of the clover had ever been 

 observed before were white with it. In many cases no clover seed has 

 ever been sown in the pastures, but it has gradually worked in from 

 accidental sources, and though the progress has undoubtedly been slow, 

 it has nevertheless been sure, and this clover has come to occupy a very 

 important place among the vegetation of the pastui es. The tendency 

 of white clover to develop in alternating periods of light and heavy 

 growth has often been observed in the past, and its appearance in such 

 quantity in the present instance is a good illustration of the changes 

 in the composition of pastures that are going on constantly, though 

 they are not always for the betterment of the pasture, as in this case. 



MISCELLANEOUS FORAGE CROPS. 



Aside from the preceding list of standard grasses and forage plants, 

 there are a number of crops of greater or less importance that are 

 grown in the various parts of the region. In most cases their cultiva- 

 tion is not general, sometimes because the plants are not well enough 

 known and sometimes because of their inability to thrive under the 

 conditions prevailing over a large part of the region. 



In the dry portions of Colorado where irrigation is not practiced the 

 sorghums, both saccharine and nonsaccharine varieties, are grown to 

 some extent for winter forage and for soiling. The great drought- 

 enduring qualities of the sorghums and their ability to thrive on land 

 containing considerable alkali render them especially valuable for cer- 

 tain portions of this region. Mr. E. E. T. Hazen, of Phillips County, 

 Colo., reports good success in growing several of the nonsaccharine 

 varieties (yellow milo maize, brown doura, and Jerusalem corn), and 

 S. Keedham, of Prowers County, regards " sorghum as very valuable 

 for winter forage on nonirrigable lauds." Only the early maturing- 

 varieties like Early Amber are grown in Wyoming and Montana, and 

 these not to any great extent. 



The common cereal crops, such as rye, oats, wheat, and barley, are often 

 grown for forage. Eye and oats are used for this purpose more often 

 than any others, although it is a common practice to cut any cereal for 

 hay if conditions are such that it is not likely to mature a crop of grain. 

 Eye is being very successfully grown for late and early pasturage in 

 many localities, and its cultivation is becoming more general each year. 

 It is already quite extensively grown in central Colorado, northern 

 Wyoming, and some parts of Montana. Sown in early autumn, it gets 

 the benefit of the rains and snows of fall, winter, and early spring, and 

 usually matures a fair croj) of grain in addition to furnishing much pas- 

 turage, when spring-sown crops would fail unless artificially watered. 



Other crops that have been grown in some parts of the region with 

 success are field peas, rape, sand or hairy vetch, and esparcette. Par- 



