10 cultivated forage crops of the northwest. 



Great Plains. 



This region extends from about the ninetN'-eighth meridian to the 

 Rocky Mountains and from Texas far north into Canada. The altitude 

 increases from about 1.500 feet, at the eastern limit, to the base of 

 the mountains, where it may be 6,000 or 7,000 feet. The western 

 portion of this area extends into the group of States considered in 

 this bulletin. The topographical features of this region are discussed 

 by the late Thomas A. Williams in Bulletin No. 12 of the Division 

 of Agrostology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, entitled "'A Report 

 upon the Grasses and Forage Plants and Forage Conditions of the 

 Eastern Rocky Mountain Region." 



The annual rainfall is usually from 10 to 12 inches, in consequence 

 of which the cultivation of crops is dependent upon irrigation. The 

 native grasses are well adapted to grazing, and hence stock raising is 

 the paramount industry throughout this portion of the Great Plains, 

 which includes the eastern part of the States of Montana, Wyoming, 

 and Colorado. The stock raised is chie% cattle and sheep, vast herds 

 of which roam over the plains during the summer, and, in most local- 

 ities, for the greater part of the winter, subsisting upon the short 

 grasses, the most important of which are buffalo grass {Bnlhilis dacty- 

 loidex) and blue grama {BouteloKo oligostachya). Along the draws or 

 in the valleys of the streams taller grasses occur, such as blue-stem 

 {Andrrjjxxjon furcatuH) and alkali saccaton {Sjxyrohohis avroide-s), the 

 common bunch grass of the Arkansas Valley. The upland or " short" 

 grasses seldom grow sufficiently tall for hay, but in favoralile seasons 

 hay is cut in those situations where the tall grasses abound. The 

 foliage of the short grasses usually cures on the ground and furnishes 

 food through the winter; but in order to provide food during the 

 stormy periods of the winter and to increase the carrying capacity 

 of the ranges by supplementing the natural food supply, hay is put 

 up for winter use. This practice is increasing as competition enforces 

 more economical methods of agriculture. Almost all the forage stored 

 for winter is produced by the aid of irrigation. Near the base of the 

 mountains there is an al)undant supph" of water in the mountain streams, 

 and this is distributed along the valWs b}" means of canals. In many 

 places storage reservoirs supply water in the canals during a portion 

 of the period of low vfater. 



The most important forage plant raised b}" cultivation is alfalfa. 

 This can be grown up to an elevation of 5,000 or 6,000 feet. On 

 account of the altitude the nights are too cold for the successful culti- 

 vation of corn and many other of the coarse forage grasses grown in 

 the prairie regions to the east. Sorghum and Katir corn are grown 

 to some extent in Colorado for forage. Timothy is grown, especially 

 in the mountain region; it is used for both pasture and hav. Red 

 clover is i-aised in Montana and to some extent in the two States to 



