72 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



clearly demonstrated the possibility of greatly improving the cattle 

 ranges with comparatively little cost. Through the plan pursued at 

 Abilene the stock-carrying capacity of the range land selected for the 

 experiments was doubled, and Mr. Bentley asserts that it is not only 

 possible to restore the worn-out and grass-denuded ranges to their 

 former productiveness, but that while this is being done cattle may be 

 held on the pastures each year, the proportion increasing year after 

 year as the capacity of the pastures to sustain them shall be increased. 

 The work accomplished at Abilene has attracted much attention, as 

 the question of range improvement is a most important one, and no 

 work undertaken by the office is more promising of useful results. 



GRASS GARDENS. 



During the past year grass gardens have been maintained on the 

 Department grounds on the Potomac Flats, District of Columbia, and 

 one was established as a part o£ the exhibit of this Department on 

 the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, N. Y. The 

 garden on the Department grounds has been remodeled, to bring it 

 more in the line of an educational exhibit than of an actual series of 

 experiments with grasses and forage plants. The center of the gar- 

 den is occupied by a series of beds or plots of native and introduced 

 pasture grasses. These are kept closely mown, to imitate as nearly 

 as possible the actual grazing by stock, with the intention of deter- 

 mining m part which will best stand such treatment. The rest of the 

 garden is devoted to displaying as many varieties as possible of native 

 and introduced grasses, clovers, and other forage plants. A series of 

 plots containing eight different species of clovers has been planted, in 

 order that the habit of each species may be studied by comparison 

 with that of the others. Several plots of alfalfa sown with seed 

 derived from different parts of the world illustrate the relative hardi- 

 ness and productiveness of these different sorts. An artificial sand 

 dune has been placed in the galden, and upon it have been planted a 

 number of sand-binding grasses. A similar but more extensive dune 

 was placed in the garden at the Pan-American Exposition, and there 

 the sand binders found upon the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in 

 the sandy regions of the interior have been grown successfully, both 

 from seed and from transplanted roots. About 250 species are included 

 in the garden on the Department grounds, and nearly half that num- 

 ber are growing in the garden at Buffalo. 



The work of testing the various native and introduced grasses and 

 forage plants on the Potomac Flats was begun in the spring of 1900 

 and is still in progress. During the season of 1900 about 400 different 

 plants were grown on the flats and full notes taken concerning their 

 growth, relative hardiness, time of maturity, seed production, etc. 

 The report of the work conducted on the flats was prepared by Mr. 

 C. R. Ball, to whom has been assigned charge of the grass garden and 

 all experiments with grasses and forage plants in the District of 

 Columbia, and was submitted at the close of the season and published 

 as Circular No. 28 of this office. The work of this season was seri- 

 ously delayed in the spring on account of protracted wet weather, and 

 it has been interfered with by the dredging operations which are now 

 being carried on. This work on the flats will be transferred to the 

 experiment farm at Arlington another season. At the present time 

 the grass garden on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition is 

 in excellent condition and has attracted a great deal of attention from 



