As Westover 1 and others have pointed out, crested wheatgrass, a hardy, 

 long-lived perennial bunchgrass, has been introduced into the United States 

 from its native cold, dry plains of Siberia and Russia in an attempt to obtain 

 a pasture and hay grass well suited to the severe growing conditions of our 

 semiarid northern Great Plains and perhaps also useful for certain foothill and 

 mountain range lands of the West. The species is a member of a genus note- 

 worthy for palatability and nutritiousness and as range plants. 



Crested wheatgrass is remarkable for its tolerance of extreme temperatures, 

 particularly cold, and for very early spring growth. It naturally inhabits soils 

 of a great variation in texture, ranging from sandy loam to heavy clay. West- 

 over (op. cit.) has indicated that crested wheatgrass is especially well adapted 

 to our northern Great Plains, and that it is considered "one of the most 

 promising dry-land grasses for eastern Oregon and Washington and north- 

 eastern California." It is reported to give good results as a pasture crop 

 in Colorado at altitudes of about 5,000 feet. It does not appear to be very 

 promising for the southern part of the United States, except possibly at the 

 higher altitudes of the mountain range country. 



In recent range reseeding trials 2 only thin stands of crested wheatgrass were 

 obtained at 7,400 feet elevation in the oak zone in central Utah and at 7.600 

 feet elevation in southwestern Colorado; and not more than a fair stand was 

 obtained in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado. In 

 these localities smooth brorne (Bronws inermis) proved somewhat better 

 than crested wheatgrass. On the whole, the species seems better adapted 

 for plains and lower foothills of the North, rather than for the South or for 

 the higher foothills and mountain ranges generally, or where rainfall is 

 appreciably in excess of about 17 inches per annum. 



Crested wheatgrass is highly palatable to all classes of livestock and its 

 hay compares favorably with that of the native bluestem (A. smithii) in 

 palatability. At most stages of its growth, analyses thus far made appear 

 to indicate that it has a somewhat higher protein content than either slender 

 wheatgrass (A. pcwiciflorum) or smooth brome; and there is no doubt but that 

 it is a highly nutritious species, whether in pasturage or hay. Its fine stems 

 make excellent hay which cures quickly and well, and is readily eaten by all 

 classes of livestock, horses being particularly fond of it. The best quality 

 of hay is obtained if the grass is cut shortly after blooming. In the northern 

 Great Plains, crested wheatgrass is used in combination with other grasses or 

 legumes, which provide more feed during the hot weather when this wheatgrass 

 is dormant. It starts growth earlier in the spring and, when moisture is 

 available, continues to grow later in the fall than most of the other grasses 

 with which it is grown, thus prolonging the grazing season. Westover (op. 

 cit.) has called attention to the usefulness of this species for seeding rights-of- 

 way along northern highways, where a permanent growth is needed to con- 

 trol coarse weeds, and for dry-land lawns, golf courses, and airports where 

 finer turf grasses cannot be maintained. 



Although crested wheatgrass is tender in the seedling stage and requires 

 favorable conditions for germination and early growth, once established it is 

 very resistant to both cold and drought. This characteristic seems to be corre- 

 lated with its extensive root system, which permits storage of abundant 

 food reserves as well as ready utilization of water when available. During 

 hot, dry spells the grass becomes dormant but resumes growth with cooler 

 weather and more favorable moisture conditions. It is a vigorous seeder, yields 

 well, and the seeds ripen while the plants are still green. The seeds are about 

 half as large as those of slender wheatgrass. Those of some plants have pro- 

 nounced bristles (awns) while others are practically awnless. Awnless seed 

 is preferable for planting. For further details respecting the use of this 

 valuable species the reader is referred to United States Department of 

 Agriculture Leaflet 104, above mentioned. 



1 Westover, H. L. CRESTED WHEATGRASS. U. S. Dept. Agr. Leaflet 104, 8 pp., illus. 

 1934. 



2 Forsling, C. L., and Dayton, W. A. ARTIFICIAL RESEEDING ON WESTERN MOUNTAIN 

 RANGE LANDS. U. S. Dept. Agr. Circ. 178, 48 pp., illus. 1931. 



