50 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



Neither of these is the true black grama. Black grama 

 (Muhlenbergia porteri) is found on a rather small area 

 of the Southwest, being confined principally to the 

 ranges in the Gila River basin in southern New Mexico 

 and Arizona. It is quite unlike any of the other gramas 

 and once seen need never be mistaken for one of them. 

 It grows from a single root and flourishes best beneath 

 trees and shrubs which protect it from destruction, and 

 in such an environment it sometimes reaches a height of 

 three feet, climbing up through the sage brush like a 

 vine. The stems and leaves are quite dark, almost black; 

 the seed heads are entirely different from the other 

 gramas and the grass is a rather soft delicate plant. 



It was originally a common plant in the region men- 

 tioned, and was one of the main sources of hay for the 

 Government military posts in southern Arizona. At Camp 

 Thomas on the Gila and Forts Bowie and Grant in south- 

 ern Arizona in 1879 and 1880 I saw hundreds of tons of 

 this grass delivered to the various post quartermasters 

 as hay at prices varying from $25 to $50 and sometimes 

 more a ton. A large amount of this was hoe-cut hay and 

 advertisements calling for bids for Government contracts 

 frequently specified hoe-cut hay. 



This was because hay cut that way was cleaner and 

 of better growth than when cut by scythes or sickles, 

 for machines were practically unknown in that region at 

 that time. To procure hoe-cut hay a wagon was driven 

 across the range and the Mexicans, each armed with the 

 common heavy Mexican or planter's hoe, worked on each 

 side of it. They simply chopped off the plant at the 

 roots, not infrequently getting deep into the ground, 

 for that made the hay weigh more. The hay was thrown 

 onto the wagon and five or six men could accumulate a 



