COLLECTING GRASSES IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND 

 LABRADOR 



Bv A. S. HITCHCOCK, 



Ciistfldia)i. Srctioii of Grasses. U. S. National Mil sen in 



For the purpose of ol)tainini;- much-needed material representative 

 of the extreme northeast, I visited Newfoundland and Labrador dur- 

 ing July and August, 1928, to study and collect grasses. The settle- 

 ments in Newfoundland are chiefly along the coast, since from the 

 earliest occupation by the white man the basic industry has been fish- 

 ing. Recently a railroad has been built across the island from Port- 

 aux-Basques at the southwest corner to St. John's, the capital, near 

 the southeast corner. The road, however, runs north from Port-aux- 

 Basques, through St. Georges to Corner Brook, then turns east, 

 passing through Grand Falls, and finally turns to the southeast, thus 

 making a large bend to the north. There are a few towns in the 

 interior along this railroad, but in the main the central part of the 

 island is a vast wilderness. 



Two large pulp mills are located at Corner Brook and Grand Falls, 

 and the manufacture of paper from pulp wood is a rather recent and 

 flourishing industry. There is some mining and agriculture, but these 

 are distinctly minor activities. 



Collections of grasses were made at Port-aux-Basques, St. Georges, 

 Corner Brook, Little Harbor ( on Deer Lake, north of Corner Brook), 

 Grand Falls, and St. John's. The number of species of grasses de- 

 creases in North America as one goes north, and in Newfoundland 

 the number is further diminished because it is an island. About 12 

 species may be said to l)e common throughout the island. Among 

 these the bent grasses (Agrosfis), with four species, and the blue- 

 grasses (Poa), with two species, take the lead. About 40 species of 

 grasses were collected, but many were comparatively rare. A few 

 were found commonly in restricted areas, as, for example, two species 

 of beach grasses {Amuwplula and Elyniiis). found on .sandy sea 

 beaches. The area occupied by these is restricted, because the shores 

 of the island are mostly rocky and precipitous. 



A short trip to Labrador was made during August. A steamer 

 runs regularly at intervals of about 18 days from St. John's to various 

 ports in Labrador as far north as Hopedale ( Lat. SSV ) "'' soi"e- 

 times to Nain (Lat. S'^'A"). In order to have time for collecting I 



1^3 



