ON SOME UNTRIED EXPERIMENTS 



share in the development of civilization has 

 failed of recognition, yet it remains true that there 

 are perhaps thousands of grasses that are almost 

 surely susceptible of great improvement, from the 

 human standpoint, to which very little attention 

 has been given by the plant developer. 



These present an inviting field for further 

 development. 



I shall offer in the succeeding pages suggestions 

 as to a few of them, drawn from my own experi- 

 ences. To attempt to deal with all the neglected 

 grasses comprehensively, and to point out every 

 individual possibility of useful development, 

 would require volumes rather than paragraphs. 

 A NEW BREAD-MAKING POSSIBILITY 



One of the grasses upon which I worked for 

 several years was what is known in the catalogues 

 as "Idaho Brome-grass," classified as Bromus 

 inermis, or Bromus gigantius. 



I chose this plant on account of its extreme 

 hardiness. It resists drought remarkably, and is 

 very productive. My original seed was received 

 from Montana. I have also grown extensively 

 other species of the same genus, to the number of 

 four or five. My main object was to produce a 

 variety that would yield more forage. 



Seeds were sown thinly in boxes in the green- 

 house, or in plots out of doors. Selection was 



[283] 



