38 FORAGE CROPS IN NEBRASKA. 



Although Agropyron repens^ known as quack-g-rass, quitch-grass, 

 and couch-grass, is a pestiferous weed in the Eastern States, yet for 

 Nebraska it shows many qualities which reconnucnd it as a hay grass. 

 The grass is nutritious, palatable, drought resistant, and thickens up 

 readily to form a good stand. It is true that it may tend to spread 

 where it becomes established, Imt in the semiarid regions such a quality 

 in an otherwise desirable grass woidd be readily overlooked. Four 

 years' testing of this grass upon the station plots shows that it I'ccov- 

 ered easily from the drought of 1901 and formed a good growth of hay 

 in 1902 and 1903. 



Slender wheat-grass {Agi'oinjron tenerxnii) is a native of the North- 

 western States from western Nebraska to Canada and westward. This 

 has been recognized in the region to the north of Nebraska as a valu- 

 able -wild grass and has already been brought into cultivation, so that 

 the seed can ))e obtained of several seedsmen in the Northwest. It 

 resembles A. occidentale in many respects, but differs in the important 

 fact that it is a bunch grass, and does not s[)read by creeping root- 

 stocks. Like the other wheat-grasses, the seed habits are good, and it 

 gives promise of meeting the requirements of a ha}' grass for the 

 Northwest. 



One plot at the Nebraska Station, sown in 189T, was apparently 

 much injured by the drought of 1901, but the following spring it 

 quickly recovered and produced a thick stand of excellent hay. 

 Another plot, one-tifth acre in size, sown in 1901, had a similar his- 

 tory, 1 ut it was resown in the spring of 1902, produced a good stand, 

 and gave a cutting of hay on July 23 of -1.57 pounds, or at the rate of 

 2285 pounds to the acre. 



Grasses and Lrgtimes op Less Importance. 



Bnj hhiestem. {Andropogon fitrcafuK). — This is one of the tall grasses 

 common over the prairie region and forms, probal)ly, the most valua- 

 ble constituent of native hay produced in eastern Kansas, (Cistern 

 Nebraska, and Iowa. It is usually called bluestem, or bluejoint, and 

 is characterized by having the seed in croAvfoot clusters at the top of 

 the stem, ])y which it may ))e distinguished from the l)luejoint of 

 Colorado, which is a wheat-grass, and from the bluejoint of Minnesota, 

 which is a grass of low grounds rather than prairies. The station 

 plot gave i-ather unsatisfactory results on account of the poor stand 

 obtained, but the Ininches that were produced grew well. Although 

 a valuable grass, the seed haljits are such that it is not likel}" to adapt 

 itself to cultivation. The seed is produced in small quantity, is of 

 uncertain vitality, and the seed stalks var}' so in height that it is not 

 readil}" harvested. 



The allied A. .^eojxir/ux. which is another important native hay grass, 

 called little bluestejn, or, on the plains, '' bunch-grass," has not been 



