THP: small INCLOSURK. 15 



and the orouiid was prepared to receix c it. In some eases, however, 

 seed was sown below the dams, as well as attovethem. The followin*'' 

 species were planted: Panicuin texaiitun, Androjjoyon saccharoidea^ 

 Bouteloua curtipenduhi^ B. rothrocki'i., B. oligostachya, B. hirsuta, 

 B. aristldoidex^ Erlocldoa imnctata^ Sjxn'oholus wrightii, S. strieta^ 

 S. eryptandrus^ 1%1-seolusretusus^ Astragalus nuttallUmus, C/uvtoehloa 

 couiposlta^ Pappophorum ajyertmn, Cldoris elegans^ Elymus glahrlfoUus^ 

 Epicampes rigens^ and Leptochloa didjia. 



In all cases the seed was sown very thick. Had all grown, the 

 plants would have been entirely too numerous upon the ground. In 

 many cases four times as much seed was sown as would produce a 

 good stand if it all grew. Experience has shown that a good deal of 

 the native seed is of very low germinating quality, and must often be 

 sown excessively thick in order to even approximate a stand. 



Many of the seeds of plants sown this time made considerable growth, 

 but only in two or three cases was there an3"thing like a stand secured. 

 AndrojJogon saecJiaroidcs^ Bouteloua cuvtlpendula, B. oligostachya^ B. 

 hirsuta^ and Lepjtochloa duh'ia all made thin stands. Bouteloua roth- 

 rocMl made a scattering growth in one situation and quite a fair stand 

 in another, but nowhere was there a better stand where it was sown 

 than on favorable situations upon the uncultivated and undisturbed 

 mesa in the immediate vicinity. The best stands and the best growth 

 were secured with l\inicum texanum and Cldoris elegans. The former 

 was especially good in places, but very uneven on account of having 

 been sown partially in the depressions in the dams where the surface 

 soil had been removed for the construction of the embankments and 

 partially upon ordinar}- weathered soil. The lower depressions doubt- 

 less held water a little too long after the summer raiiis for the best 

 development of the grass. In one of the dams there was considerably 

 less than one-half acre which would cut at the rate of 1 ton of dry 

 feed per acre. There was about a quarter of an acre of Cldoris elegans 

 in one of the dams which would yield at the rate of one-fourth ton of 

 dry feed per acre. Panicuin texanum, has yielded b}^ far the most 

 promising results of anything tried thus far. It is an annual, how- 

 ever, and can not be used ejccept in some such way as the common cul- 

 tivated millets. There is little doubt that this grass is capable of con- 

 siderable application in forage-plant culture in this region. If the 

 seed could be secured at reasonable prices it might be sown upon 

 barley fields for the production of summer and fall grazing and possi- 

 bly for a small crop of hay in October. It matured this year in about 

 ninety daj's after being sown. 



The behavior of some of the native grasses was very interesting 

 this year, especially when considered from the standpoint of seed 

 habits. Usually perennial grasses do not mature much seed the 

 year they are planted. The case is very different with species from 

 this region. Some of them, although distinctly perennial in habit, 

 4416— No. 67—04 2 



