90 ACJHK ri.TURAL CJRASSES OF .^lONTANA, 



Ilet'd licnt (Jruss {J)ci/i'ii.n'a). — 'i'liere are quite a number of 

 species of tliis gciuis native to the country, all possessing some 

 value for forage, being reailily eaten by stock. Grasses that grow 

 naturally on these dry bench lands without irrigation, and hold 

 the ground in sjjite of excessive grazing, deserve special attention, 

 for these are the species which will best meet the requirements 

 <if the farmer when it becomes lu'cessary for him to cultivate 

 grasses on these same lands. 



Hulfalo CJrass, ]\[esquite ( liouteloua (lUijostarhija). — Tlu- 1 rue 

 liutfalo CJrass [Buchhw) was not seen, but this liouteloua. whicli 

 the ranchnuMi of ^[ont ana recognize under that juinu', is a no less 

 valuable sj)ccies for grazing. It frequents the ])ench lands at 

 elevations of from 3,000 to 4,500 feet, and iu)t uncommonly i-overs 

 wide areas. Its strong, i»erennial roots and inie curly leaves 

 make a dense tui'f that vields a large amount of foraire, aud no 

 other species si'Cius better to withstand tlie tram])ing of stock 

 than this. 



June (irass {Ka'hriit i-rishtla). — 'Pbis is one of the most 

 common grasses of the bench lands, disputing possession of the 

 soil with Podfoniifolifi, with which it is almost always associated. 

 On the dry benches it is seldom over a foot high, but on irrigated 

 grounds it grows to tlu' height of two feet or more, and juakes 

 excellent hay. June-grass is the only local name I lieard 

 apjdied to this species. [It may be needless to say here that this 

 is not the grass called dune. grass in tlu' east.] 



Bunch-grass, ^Meadow-grass, Spear-grass, etc., (Poa). 

 — There an- a large number of Poas found throughout the )iorth- 

 ern portion of our country, and one and all are excellent pasture 

 grasses. Wherever grasses grow at all, from the sea-shore to the 

 mountain-top, from the arctic zone to the antarctic, this genus 

 luis its representatives. In Montana, Poa ncmornUn ascends to 

 the altitude of 0,000 feet. At tliis elevation it is dwarfed in 

 habit, but lower down the mountain's side it soon becomes taller, 



