34 FIELD WOKK OF DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. 



discussed. Besides a complete list of the forage pliiiits of the suiniiier 

 I'ange, a systematic list, with notes on all the plants collected in the Red 

 Desert, is given. 



Other Avork in the Rocky Mountain region was carried on in 18!}7 

 in southwestern Colorado }jy the writer, assisted l)y Mr. A. Selig, and 

 by Messrs. Williams and Griffiths in the Big Horn Mountains of 

 W3"oming, and in southern and western Montana. The resuirs of this 

 field work, as well ius of all that upon which nothing had been })u1)- 

 lished previous to 1898, were combined by Mr. Wil]ian)s in B".lletin 

 No. 12 of this Division, under the title "A Report upon the Grasses 

 and Forage Plants and Forage Conditions of the Eastern Eock}'^ 

 Mountain Region.-' From the author's own extensive work in this 

 region and from the reports and work of field agents it was ])ossible 

 to obtain a better grasp of the forage conditions and proljlems of this 

 region than had ])een done heretofore. In the introduction the great 

 importance of the stock-raising industry is referred to and the growth 

 of interest in the various problems connected with it. Besides the 

 information derived from field work undertaken })y employees of this 

 Division, much was secured from prominent stockmen, farmers, and 

 others familiar with the problems l)y a circular letter of iiKiuir}^ 

 Answers to this were received from about six hundred persons. These 

 answers show how varied are the forage proljlems of the region. At 

 one place it is early spring forage that is most needed, at another 

 there is a lack of winter forage, and at another it may be summer 

 feed. Under the heading of '''General topographical features of the 

 region," the great amount of variation in the physical character of the 

 country is pointed out. A description of the soil follows, and also of 

 the water supply. Under the heading of "Present aspect of the 

 forage problem," the important questions which present themselves 

 are discussed, and the causes and conditions w^hich have led to the 

 present troubles are pointed out. Unfavoral)le seasons and the 

 destruction of the forage b}" over-stocking made it necessary for 

 stockmen to provide feed in order to carry the herds safely through 

 the winter. Many, however, did not attempt anything in this direc- 

 tion until compelled to do so b}' verj^ serious losses. Thus one of the 

 great needs of this region is a hay plant that will endure the ai'id con- 

 ditions and alkali soils and pi-oduce protital>le crops. Of course in 

 localities where there are facilities for irrigation alfalfa can he very 

 successfullv iifrown. But alfalfa, to be used to the best advantage, 

 .should be supplemented ))y some other hay. Alfalfa, also, is restricted 

 to certain altitudes. In Montana it can not be successfully grown at 

 a gi'eater altitude than 4,500 or 5,000 feet, and since about one-half of 

 the area of the State lies above this limit it will be seen that some 

 other hay plant is needed to meet the i-equirements of a large portion 

 of this State, As we go farther south, the limit of successful gro^\■th 



