68 DEPAETMENTAL EEPOETS. 



plants, and that there was much appreciation shown for the work 

 which is being carried on by the Department in this direction. Large 

 quantities of seed of native saltl^ushes were collected in Wyoming. 

 Past experience with these saltbushes seems to indicate that some of 

 them at least may be successfully and profitably introduced into culti- 

 vation. Stockmen have already recognized the value of the native 

 saltbushes, and some of them have undertaken experiments in their 

 cultivation. The difficulties encountered in collecting seeds of native 

 forage plants are many. A single species rarely occupies sufficient 

 area unmixed to admit of its being harvested by any of the modern 

 methods of harvesting hay or grain, lience nearly all of the work has 

 to be performed by hand, thus making it rather slow and tedious. 



As a result of the field work, seed of about 150 varieties of grasses 

 and forage plants were secured in quantities varying from 100 to 500 

 pounds. The total amount collected in the field was about 4 tons. 

 Large quantities of roots were secured and transplanted in various 

 localities. Several hundred specimens of interesting species were also 

 secured for the herbarium or for exhibition purposes. Besides the 

 seeds collected, large amounts of commercial seeds have been pur- 

 chased for use in experiments in different sections of the country in 

 cooperation with experiment stations. About 9 tons of seeds of grasses 

 and forage plants have been purchased from such sources and dis- 

 tributed. About 10|^ tons of seed have been distributed to the various 

 State experiment stations. The distribution of these seeds required a 

 large amount of time and labor, as most of them were distributed in 

 small packages, which required separate weighing, packing, labeling, 

 and recording. Card indexes have been kept of all seeds received 

 and distributed, so that by reference to these the amount of seed of 

 any particular variety which has been secured and the parties to whom 

 it has been distributed, with the amounts sent in each case, can be 

 easily ascertained. 



The result of the season's work in seed collecting is fully presented 

 in Mr. Shear's report, which was published as Circular No. 9 from the 

 office of the Secretary. This report contains a complete list of the 

 varieties collected, with a brief description of the .Diore important 

 ones. The results of the seed and field work carried on by the office 

 during the past five years is presemted by Mr. Shear in Bulletin No. 

 25, now in press. 



COOPERATIVE WORK. 



In years past much cooperative work has been carried on between 

 this office and the State experiment stations in the cultivation of new 

 and untried grasses, as well as in the preparation of bulletins relating 

 to the grasses or forage resources of different parts of the country, 

 but not until the present year has any real effort been made to organ- 

 ize the work upon a systematic scheme or plan. Articles of agree- 

 ment have been drawn up by this office and submitted to the directors 

 of the experiment stations for approval. The following are examples 

 of these articles of cooperation : 



Articles of cooperation in investigations on improvement of the Northieestern 



ranges between the Agricultural Experiment Station and the 



Division of Agrostology, United States Department of Agricidture. 



The object of these investigations shall be to find the best and most practical 

 way of improving the forage conditions in the dry sections of the Northwest, and 

 specially of renewing the worn-out ranges and devising methods of managing 



