WHERE BROME GRASS THRIVES 109 



Brome Grass (Bromus inermis). For description of 

 this grass read page 50. I will add here that this 

 is one of the deepest-rooted of cultivated grasses. In 

 pervious soil its roots will penetrate 4' to 6'. It is there- 

 fore much more drouth-resistant than bluegrass or most 

 cultivated grasses. Brome grass comes to us from the 

 steppes of Russia, those lands so much like our D.akotas 

 in soil and climate. It is therefore adapted to all our 

 half-moist lands west of the Mississippi River, and will 

 grow well out beyond where corn grows, but as one gets 

 far west the yield decreases according to the moisture. 

 I have seen it growing wonderfully in eastern Washing- 

 ton where long dry summers are the rule. In central 

 Ohio it has proved on Woodland Farm at least the best 

 pasture grass we have ever tested. Animals relish it even 

 better than bluegrass, and that is high praise. I have 

 often seen pastures that were in part sown to brome grass 

 and in part to other grasses eaten to the earth where 

 the brome grass stood and left almost untouched in the 

 other parts. It is therefore not perfectly adapted to be- 

 ing sown as a pasture mixture. I have seen Kentucky 

 bluegrass entirely supplant brome grass in 12 years, main- 

 ly because animals always bit the brome grass first and 

 closest. It will not do well mixed with orchard grass or 

 redtop. With Kentucky bluegrass it goes fairly well, 

 though I have observed that sheep and cattle usually eat 

 the bluegrass last. 



Thousands of farmers should sow pastures of brome 

 grass who have yet to test it, as where it is adapted to 

 the soil and climate it will yield probably double what 



