AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF MONTANA. 89 



Feather Grass {i><tipa). Several species of this genus are com- 

 mon to the region, the most prevalent being Sti^Ja comata and 

 Stipa viridula. They are often found together, and are usually 

 associated with Poa tenuifoUa and Kmleria crislata. The first 

 named {S. comata) is the least valuable, but the more hardy of 

 the two, growing on bench lands in soil too gravelly and thin for 

 even Poa ioniifoUa. It has very narrow and involute radical 

 leaves, a few-flowered panicle, and smooth, twisted and more 

 or less curled, hair-like beards, or awns, five inches long. Both 

 this and the Stq)a viridula are sometimes called wild-oat grass. 

 The latter is by far the most valuable of the Stipas. Stipa spar- 

 tea, Porcupine Grass, occurs, but hajDi^ily in no great abundance. 

 ' Bunch Grass " ' ( Oryzopsis cuspidata) is very abundant on the 

 sandy bench lands along the Missouri and other rivers. It 

 thrives in soil too dry and sandy for the growth of other valiiable 

 species, and is much esteemed for grazing, 



Alpine, or •' Native " Timothy {Plileum alpinum). — This 

 species, which closely resembles our cultivated Timothy, is com- 

 mon in the mountain districts, growing near streams, at elevations 

 of from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. In the mountains back of Fort 

 Logan, I saw this grass associated with Plileum pratense, and it 

 was the more luxuriant plant of the two — not so tall, perhaps, 

 but growing to the height of two feet, with stouter and more 

 leafy culms. The common Timothy {Plileutti piratense) has been 

 introduced, and succeeds Avell when irrigated. But there are a 

 number of native grasses which would yield equally fine and 

 more abundant crops with less care. 



Drop-seed Grass {Sporoholus). — There are several species of 

 this genus more or less common, but none of them suiiiciently 

 abundant or valuable to have received local names. 



Agrostis grnndis is a species of bent-grass, common along 

 the rich, moist banks of streams in the mountain districts. This 

 is certainly a valuable grass to introduce into cultivation. 

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