GRAYLING INSTITUTE. 295 



former neglect of the grasses, owing to the great difficulties of learning to 

 distinguish them, leaves a field of great promise, ready for those who are 

 willing to study and experiment, patiently, for many years to come. 



1. It will be folly to attempt very many experiments with grasses without 

 they are under the eye of a good agrostologist. 



2. Trv as many species as possible from every known quarter of the earth, 

 planting in rows three inches apart. Make the plats one by ten rods after 

 they seem to promise usefulness. 



3. Scatter the plats as much as possible, allowing none to come next to each 

 other on account of the liability to become mixed by the scattering of seed. 



4. Sow certain combinations of species wnich thrive well in any place, to 

 compare with each sown by itself. 



5. Sow some combinations of grasses which produce no rootstocks. 



6. Sow or plant certain grasses, mixed, the species all producing rootstocks:. 



7. On a variety of soils, in several parts of the country, sow in rows 

 three inches apart, and weed out all excepting grasses, seeds of a large num- 

 ber of species mixed together. Grow these for years, noting the changes 

 that take place. 



8. Analyze several species of grasses of the same age and species grown on 

 similar soils : in one case the grasses to be much crowded, in the other, each 

 plant to have an abundance of room. 



9. Try to improve grasses by culture and selection, and changing seed. 

 Try some on rich land, with good care, and plenty of room, and compare 

 with the same species neglected on poor soils and crowded. Select seeds 

 of both lots and sow for comparison. 



10. Select ground for stations, say in Michigan, Nebraska, Texas and Ari- 

 zona. 



I think the time could be very profitably occupied by hearing from those 

 who have had experience with these lands. I talked with some men here 

 this evening and with some coming here on the train and I know some of 

 them have ideas that are valuable on these topics. 



Dr. E. 0. Kedzie: I would like to ask the opinion of Prof. Beal in respect 

 to the wild grasses that are grown here, bunch grass, blue joint and various 

 other grasses which I have gathered here on these plains, that come up here 

 at the close of the season's crop. 



Mr. Beal. Finger grass or blue joint, an andropogon, is not generally 

 esteemed, but in some parts of the world is considered to be one of the best 

 grasses ; in Kansas, Nebraska and on the plains of the west they consider it 

 very good indeed. They cut it and make extensive quantities of hay out of 

 it. There is a blue joint grass that grows in wet places which seems to me 

 one of the best grasses for this part of the country, especially on land that is 

 a little low. It is a grass that grows pretty high, with a top something like 

 red top. It is one of the grasses mentioned in the list for marshes. The 

 other grasses referred to by Dr. Kedzie won't stand close pasturing. 



Mr. Willits: I notice alsike clover in the same list of grasses. I would 

 like to know if it would answer in this climate. 



Mr. Beal : It is called Swedish clover, and comes from a cold climate 

 where the soil is no better apparently than here, and I see no reason why it 

 should not be a good grass to raise here. 



Mr. Willits: Would it do in these sandy, yellow plains; would it grow? 



Mr. Beal: I never was here before, but I should think so; I should think 



