SIDE-OATS ORAMA WHEAT-GRASSES. 37 



During the second season, l*.>i>l, which was vciv dry during- the hite 

 summer, the grass continued in good condition in spite of the drought, 

 and produced a crop of seed on .\ugust "21 and a second crop October 

 1(), after which it kept green (hiring tall. 'Piiis plot contimied to give 

 good results during l!»0-J (see PI. VI, tig. 1), hut as it does not form a 

 close sod it gives a chance^ for various weeds to become estaldished 

 between the bunches. In 1 <>():-> the plot had greatly deteriorated and 

 the orass was iinallv driven out bv weeds. 



Taking everything into consideration this is a very promising grass 

 for the drier regiojis of Nebraska. It is a native of tlii> plains and 

 furnishes excellent forage for pastui-e and also promises well for hay. 

 An important point in its favor is the fact that the plants seed abun- 

 dantlvand th(5 seed is easily gathered — of good (piality, and easily sown. 

 On account of the tendency to grow in l»uiiches it may be best to sow 

 this with some other grass, such as hronie-giass, or even with alfalfa. 

 Much of the success in growing tins grass d«>pends upon securing good 

 seed. Ill (he experiment noted at>ove. the seed was obtained from a 

 plot previously grown upon the farm. Other plots of the same grass 

 sown with seed obtained from the r)(>partm(>nt of Agriculture were 

 failures on account of low vitality. The Kansas Kxperiment Station 

 reports good n^sults in the cultui-e of this grass (Hulletin 102). 



AViikat-Grasses. 



Western wheat-grass {A(jr(>j>!/r(>ii oceUlentdli) is connnonly found in 

 the western portion of the (rreat Plains, extending into the mountains. 

 It propagates by stout creeping rootstocks, but does not form a close 

 sod. In the west, from Colorado to Montana, it is called bluestem, 

 Colorado Iduestem, or Colorado grass, and it forms the ])ulk of the 

 native ha}' of this region. It grows on bench land or ])ottom land, 

 and though the yield per acre is not large it furnishes more hay than 

 any other common grass of this region. The foliage is stift' and 

 harsh, but the quality of the hay is good and it is readily eaten by 

 stock. 



The trials on the ph^ts at the Nebraska station Avere satisfactory. 

 Where a good- stand was ol)tained the plant showed that it could with- 

 stand drought and produce a good crop of hay. One plot of one-iifth 

 of an acre, sown in lOOl, and on account of the poor stand resown 

 the following year, produced on June 23, 1908, 457 pounds of hay, or 

 at the rate of 2,485 pounds to the acre. 



Wheat-gvass is in fact one of the most promising of our native 

 ha}' grasses. The seed is produced in aliiuidance and is easily gath- 

 ered. Experiments at stations in the arid regions have usually given 

 good results. The rootstocks soon till the soil and the field may require 

 rejuvenating. This can be accomplished by disking or harrowing to 

 cut up the rootstocks, as is often done upon the native meadows. 



