THE GEEAT PLAINS. 21 



Pereiuiiul rye grass is lu-arly worthless for this section of the State. Italian rye grass 

 is unable to resist the cold of our winters and is a complete failure. Meadow foxtail 

 {Ahpecurus pratensis) does fairly well as an early grass when sown the season l)efore, 

 but is hardly adapted to this section. The most promising of the recently introduced 

 grasses is smooth or hungarian brome. The short-awned brome has also been tried 

 and is very promishig. Rye and barley arc often used as forage plants. German 

 millet and Imngarian grass find extended use some seasons. Broom-corn millet is 

 frequently sown in northern and northwestern Iowa. 



But one legume is generally grown and that is red clover. Mammoth or medium 

 clover is often sown, but is much less connnon than the preceding. Alsike clover 

 is becoming more common. Two sweet cdovers are not infrequent; the white sweet 

 clover is more abundant than the yellow. Crimson clover has been tried repeatedly, 

 but is not adapted to Iowa conditions. It suffers much from drought in late summer, 

 and from insect and fungous enemies. 



Many native species of grasses occur, and they vary in quantity and quality in dif- 

 ferent sections of the State. The dominant grasses of central low'a are little l)lue 

 stem and big blue stem. Both of these species are frequently called lilue joints. 

 Several species of Ehjnms are abundant, as wild rye, on the prairies and meadows; 

 Lyme grass on the flood plains of streams, and Dennett grass along the borders of 

 woods. Other common grasses are: Indian beard grass, or bushy 1)lue stem, in prai- 

 ries and open woods; tall grama grass of the dry prairies and gravelly knolls; nod- 

 ding fescue in woods; slender fescue in dry sterile soils; Short's fescue in low ])rairies, 

 a most valuable species; switch grass in rather moist meadows; satin ^rasa {Mn]ilen- 

 hergia racemosa, 3f. diffusa, M. vnlldenowli, and M. mexicana) in most soil of open 

 woodlands an<l meadows; swamp chess in open woodlands; fowl meadow grass in 

 low grounds along streams; wire grass and sriuirrel-tail grass (an introduced species) 

 in meadows and waste places; blue joint, reed canary grass, connnon reed grass, and 

 floating manna grass in marshy places and shallow water; large rush grass and bvuich 

 grass in dry prairies. In northwestern and western Iowa the above as well as some 

 additional species occur. Among the latter are western wheat grass, bearded wheat 

 grass, blue grama, slough grass, and l)ig sand grass. 



The most widely distributed of all the native leguminous plants is Canadian rattle- 

 weed {Astragalus canadensis), a thrifty, hardy, and vigorous species found in woods, 

 low meadows, and prairies. It is eaten by stock, l:)ut becomes rather woody when 

 old. Buffalo pea, or ground plum, is connnon on dry, sterile hills throughout the 

 region and affords valuable forage. American vetch is one of the most valuable of 

 the native legumes. It grows in the moist soil of low i)rairies and open woodlands. 

 This vetch is well adajited to the conditions of western and northwestern Iowa, and 

 does well under cultivation. The prairie clovers {Petalostemon violaceus Michx., and 

 P. cavdidus Michx.) are connnon on the prairies everywhere, as also on the loess 

 soils of western Iowa. These plants are seldom eaten ))y stock unless forage is scant. 

 Dalea al()l)<'Cllrnid^'s^Ni\\d. is common throughout the loess region and has ])een intro- 

 duced farther eastward. Wild vetch, well known as a valuable forage plant of the 

 Northwest, is indigenous to the loess, though not abundant except locally. It has 

 been introduced into Boone County. Running buffalo clover ( Trlfolhm siuloviferum 

 Muhl.), a native, is considered a valual)le forage plant l)y the farmers of western 

 Iowa, and is worthy of a trial under cultivation. Mention should also be made of a 

 loco plant {Oxytropis lambertii Pursh.) native to this region. Though often con- 

 sumed l)y stock, no complaints have l)een made that it produces loco poisoning. 

 Rattlebox [t'rutalaria sagithdis L.) occurs in the more sandy bottoms of the Missouri 

 River. Complaints have frequently been made of the trouble it causes when fed to 

 horses. The disease it produces has been called "crotalism." 



There are some serious oV)stacles in the way of maintaining the native meadows 

 and pastures of Iowa. These may be classed under two heads— the overstocking of 



