20 



success, excellent reports having- been received from Louisiana, Mis- 

 sissippi, and Texas. Man}^ others, however, condemn it very strongly 

 and look upon it as one of the most dangerous weeds. The following 

 are some of the reports for and against the cultivation of this grass: 

 Mr. Herbert Post, Fort Worth, Tex. : 



My knowledge of thisgrass is obtained from the cultivation of it for twenty-five j'ears, 

 fifteen of which I grew it for hay in Alabama, where it came into competition with 

 Northern hay and brought the same price. Even those who do not like it in their culti- 

 vated fields acknowledge its great value. Because of its rapid growth, it can be cut 3 

 and 4 times each season, and is earning more money than any hoed crops. Mr. N. B. 

 Moore, a prominent farmer of Georgia, for forty years experimented with various 

 grasses and finally chose this grass as the best of all, and it is still growing on his 

 place near Augusta, the whole farm being given up to it from choice. 



Prof. S. A. Hoover, Springfield, Greene County, Mo. : 



I look upon it as the most dangerous weed that can enter the State. I believe 

 when it once gets a foothold on a farm it is utterly impossible to get rid of it. It 

 spreads by means of its rootstocks as well as by its seeds. Plowing only helps it to 

 spread by breaking up these rootstocks and scattering the pieces. It is simply irn- 

 possible to grow any crop with Johnson grass. The immense number and size of 

 its rootstocks prevent the growth or cultivation of other plants with this pest. Hogs 

 will eat the rootstocks, but there are always enough pieces left to start another crop. 

 It grows entirely too coarse for hay in this part of the country. In western Texas, 

 where the rainfall is light and other forage plants do not succeed, it is a good thing 

 to raise for hay, as the land can be completely given up to it. In this State and in 

 Kansas, where much better forage plants may be grown successfully, it seems very 

 foolish to attempt its cultivation. In fact, farmers ought to be on the lookout to 

 destroy every stalk that makes its appearance. 



SMOOTH BROME GRASS (Bromus inermis) . ' 

 (Plate III.) 



The seed of this variety was obtained by the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture for the Department through Prof. N. E. Hansen in February, 

 1898. The lot consisted of 12 tons from the Penza province, in the 

 Volga River region of Russia. At the agricultural school at Uralsk, 

 on the Ural River, where the annual rainfall is 12.6 inches, the smooth 

 brome grass was regarded as the best grass for the steppes. Professor 

 Hansen writes: 



The best Russian authorities do not think this grass equal to timothy in feeding 

 value, but it flourishes in sections where timothy is an utter failure. Its chief value 

 will probably be in dry regions. 



Smooth brome grass is a vigorous, hardy perennial, with strong, 



creeping rootstocks, smooth, upright, leafy stems 1 to 4 feet high, 



and loose, open panicles or "seed heads" 4 to 8 inches long. In a few 



years it forms a very tough sod, soon crowding out other grasses, 



clovers, and weeds. Its remarkable drought-resisting qualities have 



I For full discussions on smooth brome grass see Circular No. 18, Division of Agros- 

 tology, U. S. Dept. Agr.; Nebraska Experiment Station Bui. No. 61; South Dakota 

 Experiment Station Bui. No. 45; North Dakota Experiment Station Bui. No. 40. 



