52 



coarse and woody, or otherwise unpalatable, to be of much value; and 

 still others, while affording nutritious forage, are of most value for hay, 

 and have been considered in the preceding pages of this report under 

 the discussion of the native meadow-grasses. 



The principal i^asture grasses of the dry plains region are the gramas 

 {Bovtelono spp.), buffalo-grass {BulhiUs dacti/loides), wheat grasses, 

 already discussed under meadow-grasses, prairie June-grass [Koeleria 



cristata), and needle-grasses 

 {8ti2)a spp.). Other grasses of 

 considerable value for graz- 

 ing, but of more or less local 

 distribution, are Indian millet 

 {Eriocoma cnspklata), rush- 

 grasses {Sporobolus spp.), 

 Montana sand-grass (Ca/awta- 

 grostis moutancnsis), salt- 

 grass {Di-siicJiUs siylcata), and 

 several of the bunch-grasses 

 and wild ryes already men- 

 tioned. 



There are three gramas 

 found in this region, and all 

 are valuable pasture grasses. 

 The best, and by far the most 

 abundant, is blue grama 

 {B o ntelo u a oligosf<(clii/a). 

 (See tig. 17.) It is one of the 

 most generally distributed 

 grasses of tlie prairies, and 

 also occurs in considerable 

 (quantities on the higher 

 bench lands and mesas, in 

 the foothills, and in dry soil 

 here and there in the lower 

 mountain valleys. Every- 

 where it is regarded as an 

 exceedingly valuable grass 

 for both summer and winter 

 pasturage, but i)arti('nlai'ly 

 for the latter, vying with buffalo-grass for lirst place. At the ])resent 

 time it is probably of greater actual vahie on account of its more general 

 occurrence, greater yield of forage, and greater ability to hold possession 

 of the soil under excessive pastnringand extremedrought. In therather 

 loose, sandy soil, so common to the prairies of this regicm, blue grama 

 forms closely sodded areasofvarying extent which, on accountofthe ])ur- 

 plish color of the foliage, stand out in strong contrast to the prevailing 



Fig. 37. — Bine grama {Boutelona oligostachya) : a, empty 

 glunu-s of a spikclct ; 0, spikelet with the empty glumes 

 removed. 



