20 KIELD WOKK OF DIVISION OF AGRt)ST0LOGY. 



tioii of the' report was devoted to iiivcstigiitioiis made in the liocky 

 Mountains, tlie work done in Nebraska being incidental. 



Other field work in Nebraska has been done by Mr. C. J. Elmore, 

 Dr. L. H. Panmiel, Mr. T. A. Williams, late assistant agrostolog-ist, 

 Mr. J. O. Smith, who formerly occupied the same position in the 

 Division, and also by the writer. Mr. Elmore did field work during 

 a portion of the summer of 1S96 in the southwestern part of the State, 

 especially in Nemaha and Otoe counties. He devoted especial atten- 

 tion to the collection of sheaves of the native grasses and forage plants 

 to be used for exhibition purposes b}^ the Division and for distribution 

 and exchange to various institutions, particularly the experiment sta- 

 tions. In this way a considerable number of specimens were added to 

 the herbarium, and duplicates were also secured for distribution and 

 exchange. During the same season Dr. L. H. Paumiel, under com- 

 mission from the Secretary of Agriculture, made a study of the forage 

 conditions of western Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. The points at 

 which Avork was done were as follows: Ames, Iowa; Omaha, Lincoln, 

 Crete, Hastings, and McCook, in Nebraska, and also in northern and 

 central Colorado in the vicinity of Fort Morgan, Greeley, Fort Col- 

 lins, Golden, Denver, and Colorado Springs. A discussion of the Col- 

 orado work wUl be taken up in connection with the account of the work 

 in the Rocky Mountain region. The results of Dr. Panmicrs work 

 were published in Bulletin No. 9, entitled, "'" Notes on the Grasses and 

 Forage Plants of Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado."" 



A quotation from Dr. Pannners report will give an idea of the sit- 

 uation in Iowa: 



The forage question in central Iowa is very different now fnjni what it was fif- 

 teen years ago. At that time considerable areas of unl^roken sod still remained. 

 Now the wild prairies have almost ceased to be a factor in the jiroduction of hay. 

 The extensive prairies have given way to cultivated fields and pastures. Small 

 unbroken areas occur here and there, but these are chiefly confined to the small 

 drainage l)asins between iiills, and exist largely because in times of considerable pre- 

 cipitation these depressions are too moist for proper cultivation. The Boyer and 

 Maple valleys are note<l for the large crops of wild hay annually produced. The same 

 may be said of the rich alluvial flood plain of the Missouri. This plain varies from a 

 few to 15 miles in width, the average being from 8 to 12. The hay crop constitutes 

 one of the chief sources of revenue for the farmers <if this region, and could be made 

 much more important if they would follow a more rational system of cropping. 



The chief hay plants in c;entral Iowa are timothy, redtop, blue grass, and red 

 clover. The i)rincipal plants used in pastures are bkie grass, white clover, redtop, 

 and timothy. In the Boyer and Maple valleys and on the Missouri bottoms the wild 

 gra.sses i)redominate. To a limited extent alfalfa meadows have been starte<l in Car- 

 roll, Ida, and Woodbury counties. The loess hills skirting the Missouri bottoms are 

 mostly cultivated, though iinbrokt'ii wild meadows and pastures still remain. In 

 the eastern portion of this district considerable corn fodder is used as forage, the 

 amount use(l depending largely ujjou the condition of the pastures and meadows. 



Many other grasses have lieen tried with varying success. Orchard grass, natural- 

 ized in many places, is one of the most successful. Tall oat grass gives some jirouiise. 



