BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 77 



given them during the coming year. During the present season, cer- 

 tain dealers have advertised extensively a supposed new forage plant, 

 and large quantities of seed have been sold at exorbitant prices, under 

 the name "Penicillaria." This plant has been grown in comparison 

 with the well-known pearl millet, and proven to be identical with it. 

 A circular will be issued soon giving the results of this test, in order 

 that farmers may be protected against a similar imposition next 

 season. 



As soon as the land is available, permanent experiments will be inau- 

 gurated with a view to investigating all the leading problems relating 

 to grasses and forage plants in this country. 



SEED DISTRIBUTION. 



This has been carried on in connection with our cooperative work 

 with the agricultural experiment stations and also with private exper- 

 imenters. 



Seeds of 130 different forage plants were distributed, a total of over 

 5,500 packages being sent to more than 3,000 experimenters. This 

 distribution comprises over l-g- tons of alfalfa seed sent to all parts of 

 the country, but more especially to the Northern and Eastern States 

 outside of the recognized alfalfa region; large quantities of cowpeas 

 and soybeans sent to the whole eastern half of the country; many 

 annual forage crops and Bermuda grass sent to the Southern States or 

 distributed to applicants at several farmers' institutes by members of 

 the office force; seed of Kafir corn, awnless brome grass, and other 

 drought-resistant forage plants sent to the Great Plains or the semi- 

 arid regions of the AVest. In addition, smaller quantities of the seeds 

 of sand binders and alkali-resistant grasses and other plants were dis- 

 tributed. The system of records of the seed distribution and reports 

 on results secured is still essentially the same as that described in 

 Bulletin No. 10 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, though the form of 

 the report has been modified somewhat. 



COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS OF NATIVE PLANTS. 



Several agents are now in the field collecting seeds of valuable 

 native grasses, particularly those adapted to arid regions, sand}^ land, 

 and overflowed lands. These will be used either in our own investi- 

 gations, or distributed in those sections where they will be of most 

 value. It is the policy of the office to collect considerable quantities 

 of a few of the more valuable species, rather than small quantities of 

 a large number of less valuable ones. It is believed that more valu- 

 able results will be obtained in this way, as it enables us to test more 

 thoroughly the value of the seeds collected. 



LAWNS AND LAWN MAKING. 



Investigations with lawn grasses have been continued during the 

 year. These have shown that Korean lawn grass is superior for lawn 

 purposes to Bermuda grass in the vicinity of Washington and in the 

 Southern States. It makes a denser growth and starts much earlier 

 in the spring. It is particularly valuable in the Southern States, and 

 an effort will be made next season to introduce it generall}^ in that 

 section. 



