310 FIELD CROPS 



BROME GRASS 



404. Origin and Description. Brome grass, Bromus 

 ifiermis, is a native of Europe, from which country it was 

 introduced into the United States at a comparatively recent 

 date. It is variously know as Russian brome, smooth brome 

 grass, and awnless brome grass. It is a deep-rooting, stol- 

 oniferous grass, with an abundance of root leaves and a 

 good supply of culm leaves. The culms are erect, from 23^ 

 to 4 feet tall, bearing a spreading panicle from 6 to 10 inches 

 long. The spikelets are about 1 inch long, one fourth as 

 broad, and contain several flowers. The seeds are three 

 eighths to one half inch long, and are awnless. The grain, 

 or caryopsis, is about one fourth of an inch in length, and 

 is brown in color. 



405. Related Plants. Che^ity or chesSy Brojti us secalinus, 

 is an annual grass which is a common weed in grain fields, 

 particularly in winter wheat and other winter grains. It 

 makes such a vigorous growth in fields of winter grain where 

 the stand is thin as to give rise to the somewhat common 

 belief that 'Vheat turns to cheat." The grass is of little 

 value for hay. Rescue grass, or Schrader's brome grass, 

 Bromus unioloides, is of some value in the South as a winter 

 pasture grass (Section 399). There are numerous other 

 species of Bromus in various sections of the United States, 

 but none of them are of apparent value. 



406. Importance. Brome grass is of such recent intro- 

 duction into this country that its value is not yet well under- 

 stood. It seems to be unquestionably the best tame pasture 

 grass for the Great Plains region and the Pacific Northwest, 

 and it is of more or less value throughout the North Central 

 and Northeastern states. It will probably be many years, 

 however, before it replaces Kentucky blue grass to any ex- 

 tent in the Northeastern states as a pasture grass, or timothy 

 as a hay grass. It does not thrive in the South and should 

 not be sown farther south than central Kansas, except at 



