54 



There is no other orass which has a reputation for excellence for both 

 summer and winter pasturage equal to that of buffalo- grass. However, 

 not all of the praise bestowed upon this grass really belongs to it, for 

 the gramas are often confused with it, and to them, particularly to blue 

 grama, belongs much of the credit given to buffalo-grass in many parts 

 of the range region. In the minds of many ranchmen "buffalo-grass" 

 includes blue grama and black grama as well as the true buffalo-grass 

 {Bidbilis dactyloides), while in the minds of others grama or " gram- 

 mer," as it is often pronounced, includes all three. 



However, there is no doubt of the great value of the true buffalo- 

 grass for pasturage. That it is one of the most palatable of native 

 grasses is shown by the fact that, with plenty of other grasses on every 

 hand, stock will keep it eaten close to the ground, and this is probably 

 the reason that it is one of the first grasses to be killed out in over- 

 stocked ranges. It is reported to have practically disappeared from 

 many places where it was formerly one of the commonest species, but 

 while this is no doubt true of some localities, it is certainly not true of 

 all. Examination has shown that it is still quite abundant in some of 

 these localities, but is easily overlooked, as it is kept grazed so closely 

 that it is seldom able to make enough development to show its charac- 

 teristic habit of growth, much less to bloom and mature seed. 



The wheat-grasses usually furnish a larger percentage of the pastur- 

 age on the prairies than is generally supposed. Tlie most valuable 

 varieties for grazing are provided with underground stems or root- 

 stocks, which run along a short distance below the surface and at fre- 

 quent intervals send up erect branches, either bearing only tufts of 

 leaves or more rarely producing "heads." When too closely grazed, or 

 during unfavorable seasons, much of the growth of the plant is made by 

 these underground stems and very few, if any, fertile branches are devel- 

 oped. On this account many people have an idea that these grasses 

 grow only once in every two or three years, when as a matter of fact the 

 actual yield of forage may be almost as much for an "off" year as for 

 any other. Although regarded primarily as meadow or hay grasses, 

 the wheat-grasses furnish a large part of the pasturage throughout the 

 entire range region, and on the more strongly alkaline soils are otten the 

 only grasses of any value to be found at all. 



The needle-grasses {^tipa spp.) are among the most conspicuous 

 members of the grass vegetation of the plains and lower mountains and 

 foothills. All produce a relatively large amount of leafage, which makes 

 an excellent quality of forage. During the late summer, when the seed 

 is maturing, some of the needle-grasses cause much trouble and often 

 severe in.jnry to stock, ])articularly to sheep, as the sharp-pointed 

 needles or "spears" work into the llesh of the animals, making painful 

 sores and sometimes causing the death of the animal, in some of the 

 best forage-producing species the "spears" are very blunt, and hence 

 do little or no damage. Where the range is kept closely grazed the 



