152 THE GRASSES OF TENNESSEE. 



over the entire surface. It survives equally well the severest droughts 

 and the tramping of the buffalo. The range of this grass is said to be 

 identical with that of the buffalo. 



The western slope of the Sierra Nevada, from the upper Sacramento 

 to San Diego, has hundreds of square miles covered with the wild 

 oats of California. This is also excellent natural pasture grounds. 



I do not pretend to say that the poa pratensis or blue grass, our most 

 valuable pasture grass, is a true indigenous species. It is found over 

 such an extensive range and often m such wild and inaccessible places, 

 far from settlements, that it is impossible to believe that the seeds could 

 have been disseminated by the settlers or their stock. Besides, we know 

 of numerous other plants which belong unquestionably to both conti- 

 tinents. It is also evident that the spread of this grass has been favored 

 by the expanse of cultivation and the increase of stock. 



It is still an open question whether, among the few indigenous grasses, 

 there may not still be some which would submit to artificial treatment 

 and become useful and profitable meadow, or, at least, pasture grasses. 

 Here is a field well worthy the attention of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment at Washington. The numerous geological and geographical sur- 

 veys now persecuted with such vigor by the General Government, should 

 be charged with the duty of collecting seeds of the wild grasses that 

 promise to be valuable, and skillfully conducted experiments made at 

 the botanical gardens at Washington. 



There are many other wild grasses that might be domesticated, many 

 of which are common in Tennessee. The following furnished by 

 Dr. Gattinger, 1 are not rare, but very generally distributed, and good for 

 grazing. Experiments should be tried with these under culture: 



Sporobulus Indicus. 

 Bouteloua curtipendula. 

 Poa compressa. 



serotina. 



flexuosa. 



brevifolia. 

 Pestuca elatior. 



nutans. 



Bromus Kalmii. 

 Elymus Virginicus. 



Canadenais. 

 Paspalum distichum. 



Iseve. 



racemulocum. 



undulatum. 



ciliatifolium. 



Some of these, under cultivation, might become important pasture 

 especially the Poas. 



