BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 201 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief, 



and the Bureau of Chemistry, Carl L. Alsberg, Chief. 



May 26, 1915. 



(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 



NATIVE PASTURE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



By David Griffiths, Agriculturist, Office of Farm Management, Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, and George L. Bidwell, Chief of the Cattle- Food and Grain Investigation 

 Laboratory, and Charles E. Goodrich, Assistant Chemist, Bureau of Chemistry. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



General considerations 2 



Discussion of species 4 



INTRODUCTION. 



On account of the widely varying conditions, the meagerness, or 

 often absence, of information relative to the economic value of the 

 numerous range forage plants entering into the beef, mutton, and 

 wool producing rations of the range animals of this country, it has 

 become desirable that a great deal of original investigation and much 

 compilation should be made. In order that this information may be 

 available, it is highly desirable that it be brought together and made 

 sufficiently comprehensive to furnish a general reference. 



It was with these ideas in mind that these investigations were 

 begun several years ago. A large part of the work has been done on 

 the saltbushes, the legumes, the browse plants, sedges, and rushes, 

 the nonlegume and nongrass herbaceous forages, and the miscella- 

 neous plants from all groups. 



The field work is done in connection with other investigations in 

 the Office of Farm Management of the Bureau of Plant Industry and 

 the laboratory work by the Cattle-Food and Grain Laboratory of 

 the Bureau of Chemistry. 



This installment of the work, dealing with a part of the grasses, 

 treats of the most important group of native forages, but of course 

 only a fraction of that group is included. 



Note. — This bulletin contains the results of investigations and compilations, mainly of experiment- 

 station literature, that will be of value to chemists, agricultural writers, and ranchmen, 

 82080°— Bull. 201—15 1 



