NATIVE GRASSES OF NORTHERN MEXICO. 99 



Six or eight other species and varieties of Bouteloua furnish 

 .more or less pasture. 



Diplachne duhia, Benth, sends up here and there, over hills 

 from perennial shoots, a few late, succulent stems, especially 

 relished by animals. It seems ]irobable that this grass would 

 succeed under good cultivation witliout irrigation, and, if so, no 

 species native to Mexico would be likely to yield crops of greater 

 amount or of superior quality. 



Diplcu^hne imbncata, Scrib., is similar to the last in habit and 

 quality, and would probably succeed as well, but only on rich soil 

 with copious irrigation. 



Arundo donax, L., grows on the banks of streams, and is 

 stripped of its broad leaves by cattle, which crowd upon the tall 

 canes, straddling them to bring the leaves within reach. 



Eragrostis erosa, Scrib., is a tall, soft, leafy bunch grass of the 

 mountains, than which none can be more acceptable to stock. 

 Erdfjrodis lugens, ISTees, is a closely related species, of similar 

 habit and quality. 



In tliese notes I have said little about the possibility of the 

 species mentioned for cultivation, because it does not to me seem 

 possible that Mexican agriculture can in this generation, or in 

 severial generations, attain to the cultivation of grasses. I can- 

 not say in what Avay their metliods are in advance of those of the 

 ancient Egyptians and Syrians ; certainly one is astonished to 

 find numerous parallels between their customs and practices and 

 those of the ancients. 



In regard to other forage plants which interest stock growers, 

 I have seen a little lucern or alfalfa grown there, but only a little. 

 Tlie place it occupies in the American southwest is there filled 

 by barley, Avheat, and corn. 



The clovers, native or introduced, are almost entirely wanting 

 in the southwest. Of course there are a large number of plants 

 of many natural orders which help to siistain animal life, and I 



