GRASSES OF IOWA. 

 NATURAL CONDITION. 



385 



WATER FREE SUBSTANCE. 



Iowa (1) 



South Dakota (2). 



Connecticut (3).. . 



Mississippi (4): 



August 2 samples 



4.77 

 5.35 

 4.C0 



4.60 



1.32 

 2.38 

 1.40 



.93 



53.81 

 53 06 

 52.70 



48 67 



34 27 

 34.39 

 37.80 



41.99 



•5 83 

 4 81 

 4 10 



3.81 



4.68 

 4 69 



Bushy blue stem {Andropogon nutans, L ,) is a tall perennial, 

 from four to six feet high, found in open woods and prairies 

 in Iowa and eastern Nebraska, but is less common than the 

 other members of the genus, and in this state frequently 

 forms an important constitutent of the herbage of prairies, 

 forming a considerable part of the prairie hay. It is cut 

 late in the season, usually August or September, because then 

 more easily made into hay. The hay is palatable and nutri- 

 tious and cures well. Though the quantity would be less if 

 cut by the middle of August, the quality would be superior. 



Prof. F. Lamson-Scribner* says: "It is held in little esteem 

 in the eastern and southern states, bub in the west it is said to 

 make excellent hay, and is particularly valuable because of the 

 relatively large amount of long root leaves which it produces. 

 All stock eat it greedily. In South Dakota it is given the first 

 place among the native grasses as a hay-producing species, 

 thriving best on the rich prairie bottoms. During the dry 

 seaso a it produces but little seed, though it usually makes a 

 goDd growth of root leaves. In the middle Atlantic states this 

 grass seeds freely and the seeds are easily collected." 



1. Bun. Iowa Agrl. Exp. Sta. 11:460. 

 •2. Bull. S. Dak. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 40:26. 



3. U. S. Dept. Agr. Off. Exp. Sta. BuU. 11:39. 



4. U. 3. Dept. Agrl. Exp. Sta. Rec. 6:101. 1894. 

 •Bull. U. S. Dept. Agrl. Div. Agrost. 3:19. 



