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proved it to be a most valuable grass for dr}^ regions where other 

 grasses could hardly exist. It is the most suitable grass yet intro- 

 duced for the dry regions of the West and Northwest. As it is 

 thoroughly permanent and grows with wonderful rapidit}^, producing 

 heav}^ crops of hay and luxuriant pasturage, its value to the farmers 

 of the semiarid regions of this country can not be overestimated. All 

 kinds of stock eat it with relish, and the chemical anal3'^ses made 

 show that it is rich in flesh-forming materials, much more so than 

 timothy. It is very hardy, and not injured by severe spring and fall 

 frosts when once established. As it starts to grow very early in the 

 spring, before any of the grasses upon the native prairies show any 

 signs of life, and remains green and succulent far into November, it 

 will supply the long-felt want of early and late fall pastures. 



In the spring of 1898, 536 packages of the Russian seed of smooth 

 brome grass were distributed by this Division through the Section of 

 Seed and Plant Introduction. This does not include the State experi- 

 ment stations, many of which received large consignments directly 

 from the Department. The States receiving the largest amounts 

 of seed were Kansas, Montana, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, North 

 Dakota, Washington, and Oregon, in the order named. Out of the 

 536 experimenters receiving the Russian seed of smooth brome grass, 

 284 have complied with a request from the Division for reports as to 

 its success or failure. From the reports received it is evident that it 

 is little influenced by the changes of climate. It does well in Cali- 

 fornia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North 

 Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, 

 and Wyoming. Sufiicient experiments have not been carried on in 

 the South to enable us to state here its value for that part of the 

 country. Professor Tracy, of Mississippi, speaks of it thus : 



Although its growth on the test plots was all that could be desired, its growth in 

 the field has often been disappointing, and it is not gaining in general favor. * * * 

 After eight years' experience with this grass, on a great variety of soils, it appears to 

 be of doubtful value in the Gulf States. It has here some value for winter grazing 

 on dry and loose soils, but its place can be better filled by other species. 



The experiment stations of California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, 

 Minnesota, Manitoba, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota have 

 all made extensive experiments with smooth brome and recommend it 

 highly both for hay and pasture, especially for dry and poor soils. 



The following reports from volunteer experimenters in the differ- 

 ent States prove conclusively the immense value of the smooth brome 

 grass to the farmers of this country: 



CALIFORNIA. 



Messrs. Guill Brothers, Chico, Butte County: 



The seed was drilled in by hand on the 4th of March, 1898, and covered 2 inches 

 deep. The soil is a sandy loam, and had been put into excellent condition by fall 



