40 FIELD WORK OF DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. 



were investigated; also the rano-es and sand dunes in the vicinity of 

 The Dalles. The most important native grasses of the range are bunch 

 wheat grass {Agropyron ^plcatuin (Pursh) Rydb.) (PI. XIV) and several 

 species of l>lue grass {Poa spp.) Winter fat {Kurotia htnata) is a native 

 forao-e plant of considerable value here and also in manv localities 

 throughout the arid region. The accompanying illustration shows 

 this plant as it grows at Parker, Wash. (PI. XVI, tig. 1). Persons 

 who have resided in this region for the past twenty-tive or thirty 

 years state that the range lands in the vicinit}^ of the Columbia River in 

 Washington and Oregon were in the early days practically covered with 

 a very a])undant growth of the bunch grasses. Through overstfx-king 

 and drought these bunch grasses have been practically exterminated 

 over large areas and their places occupied more or less l)y weedy ammal 

 plants, especially the soft chess {Bromm hordeaceus)^ Avhich furnishes 

 very little forage. Besides cattle, large numl)ers of horses have ranged 

 oyer some portions of the countr}^ and have done much to l)ring aliout 

 the present unfavorable condition of things. Sheep have also done con- 

 siderable injury in many places. There has been no effort made 1)V the 

 stockmen to conserve the product of the grazing lands, the lack of any 

 right to control them giving them no inducement to improve or care for 

 them. Pearly in the course of the investigations in this region the great 

 desirability of testing the more promising native and introduced forage 

 crops which gave promise of success in this region was recognized. 

 Two points were selected at which culture experiments were conmienced, 

 one at Walla Walla, in connection with the Oregon Railroad and Navi- 

 gation Company, and the other at Yakima, on land belonging to the 

 Northern Pacific Railway Company. The work here, which was under 

 the inunediate supervision of Mr. Leckenby, served to demonstrate very 

 conclusively the possibilities in the way of cultivation and the great 

 value of some of the native grasses, especially the ])unch wheat-grasses, 

 which, as before mentioned, occupied a large portion of the range 

 lands of this region. Other wheat-grasses, as western wheat-grass, 

 {Agrojjyrmi occideiitale) and slender wheat-grass {Ayropyyron teneruin) 

 also showed great adaptability to cultivation and give great promise of 

 usefulness in this region. These grasses will grow with little or no 

 irrigation. The l)lue grama grass {Bouteloua oligostachya), though 

 not a nati^'e of this side of the range, proved Avell adapted to the pre- 

 vailing conditions. The accompanying illustration shows a small field 

 of quack grass {Agropyron rejjem) grown near Walla Walla. It pro- 

 duced an enormous crop with little irrigation (PL XVI, fig. 2). Awn- 

 less brome-grass, which was also tried here, gave excellent results. 

 The sand-binding grasses along the Columbia River were given espe- 

 cial attention. Seeds and roots of many of them were collected in 

 ({uantity for testing here' and elsewhere. Experiments in growing 

 them were carried on at diffei'iMit points along the river and some quite 



