ACJinci'LTUKAL liUAS«E« OF MONTANA. 9» 



Ft'iitlier (irufs [Sh'jut). Several n[>eoie8 of this <;enus iire coin- 

 liioii t(t tlu- ri'gioii, tlie most ])reviileiit being Sfi/m ninid/it niul 

 Sfi/Hi rt'n'iliild. They are (»ften fouiul together, aiul are iisiuilly 

 associated witli J*on tcninfoliit and luvln'id rrishtta. The llrst 

 iiHiiied [S. ntmaiit) is the least valuahle, Imt tlu* more hardy (»f 

 tho two, growing on heneh lands in soil too gravelly and thin for 

 even Po<i Iniuifohd. It lias very narrow and involuti' ra«lieal 

 leaves, a few-llowered i)anielc, and smooth, twisted and more 

 or less eurled, huir-like beards, or awns, live inches long Hoth 

 (his and the >7/}uf y/y/^//^/« are sometimes calli'il wild-oat grass. 

 Tho latter is by far the most valuable of the Stijias. SHjki .ymr- 

 /('((, P()rcupine Grass, occurs, but liai)])ily in no great abundance. 

 Hunch Grass [Onjwpsis cuHpiiliitd) is very abundant on tho 

 sandy bench lands along tho Missouri and other rivers. It 

 thrives in soil too drv and sandv for the growth of other valiial)le 

 gpecio.s, and is much esteemed for grazing. 



Alpine, or Native Timothy {/'/i/eintt nlpinnm). — Tiiig 

 species, which closely resembles our cultivated Timothy, is com- 

 mon in tho mountain districts, growing near strcjims, at elevations 

 of from 0,000 to 8,000 feet. In the mountains back of Fort 

 Logan, I saw this grass associated with Phlcum jn-n/cttsr, and 1*^ 

 was the more luxuriant ])lant of the two — not so tall, jterhaps, 

 but growing to tho height of two feet, with stouter and nior'> 

 leafy culms. Tho common Timothy {Phlewin praivufiv) has been 

 introduced, and succeeds well when irrigated. Hut there are a 

 number of native grasses which would yield equally line and 

 more abundant crojis with less care. 



Drop-seed Grass {Sjmrobolns). — There are several species of 

 this genus more or less eommon, but none of them sutliciently 

 abundant or valuable to have received local names. 



Af/rosfis ffrroifhs is a species of bent-grass, common along 



the rich, moist banks of streams in the mountain districts. This 



is certainly a valuable grass to introduce into cultivation. 

 12 



