2 56 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



In addition to all these should be mentioned that horde of wild 

 things growing together and constituting such great natural pas- 

 tures as the original prairie range of our own western states and 

 their equivalent on the pampas of South America. Unfortunately 

 none of these native prairie grasses has been domesticated, and 

 most or all of them seem on the road to early extinction. This 

 seems a pity, especially when we recall the fact that neither tim- 

 othy, blue grass, nor redtop, nor yet any of the English grasses, 

 seems fully adapted to the soil and climate of our prairie states. 

 England is the great home of grasses, native and introduced. 

 Its moist, cool climate is especially favorable to the hay and 

 pasture grasses. The tall oat, sweet vernal, and the more use- 

 ful festucas are all well known and all have been long recovered 

 from the wild. We should do as much for our native grasses, 

 and fame if not fortune awaits the man who will develop from 

 American native varieties even one really good hay or pasture 

 grass suited to our conditions. 



