408 



GRASSES OF IOWA 



grass. When the plant comes into tlower, the stem is woody 

 and is wholly unfit for forage purposes. There are many other 

 species of the genus, but none of them are of any value for 

 forage purposes. All produce a vigorous growth wh'ch may 

 be utilized when young, but when old the stems are very woody 

 and hence is of little value for forage purposes. Wild timothy 

 [Muhlenberg la f/lo)iierata, Trin.) grows in wet meadows and low 

 grounds throughout the state, but is most common in northern 

 Iowa. Although this grass is highly spoken of in the north- 

 west, it is of but little value in this s'ate. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. 



Seven samples of Muhlenhergia mexicana were analj zed in 

 the laboratory, and the results are given below: 



Sample 1. Collected April 29, 1896, height 4 to 12 inches. 



Sample 2. Collected May 14, 1896, height 20 to 23 inches. 



Sample .{. Collected May 28, J 896, height 26 to 29 inches. 



Sample 4. Collected June 8, 1896, height 36 to 38 inches. 



Sample 5. Collected June 18, 189R, height 38 to o9 inches. 



Sample 6. Collected June 29, 1896, height 39 to 40 inche?. 



Sample 7. Collected July 20, 18b6, height 4S to 49 inches. 



NATURAL CONDITION. 



o *a 



Sample 1. 

 Samp'e 2. 

 Sample 3. 

 Sample 4. 

 Sample 5. 

 Sample 6. 

 Sample 7. 



5.05 

 9.90 

 5 27 

 9.16 

 12.11 

 20.56 

 9.09 



WATER FREE SUASTANCE. 



Sample 1. 

 Sample 2. 

 Sample 3. 

 Sample 4. 

 Sample 5. 

 Sample 6. 

 Sample 7. 



5.81 

 4.52 

 3 14 

 3.49 

 3.03 

 3.62 

 2.95 



23.! 6 

 19 17 

 1677 

 10 70 



8.00 

 7.81 

 8 26 



(17 99) 

 (14.17) 

 (11.46) 

 (9.52) 

 (7.88) 

 (6 30) 

 (6.11) 



24.36 

 28.90 

 37 72 

 35.94 

 33 83 

 32.31 

 32.48 



13.41 

 10.38 

 11.43 

 9.27 

 9.67 

 6 40 

 6.16 



33 26 

 37.03 

 30.94 

 40.60 

 45 47 

 49.^6 

 50.15 



In the above results we find that the amount of water pres- 

 ent varies from 84.82 per cent 1o 58.77 per cent, while it might 

 be said that the amount tends to become less as the plant 



