agricultural experiment station. 183 



Chess, or Cfieat. 



Bromus secalinus, L. 



A letter containing specimens of the above named grass was 

 received from Mr. F. V. Barker, Athens, Me., who stated that 



the plant grew on his farm and he wished to know whether it was 

 of any value. The following response may be interesting in con- 

 nection with the cut we give of this species on the opposite page. 



Orono, Me., Doe. 10, '91. 

 Mr. F. V. Barker, 



Athens, Me. 

 Dear Sir : — The specimen of grass you forwarded to Prof. 

 Balentine has bean handed to me for examination. It is Chess or 

 Cheat, known to botanists by the name Bromus secalinus, L. 

 Some farmers still hold to the old tradition that Cliess is a degen- 

 erate wheat, but most now know it is a distinct species, which 

 sometimes overruns grain fields. The seed is sometimes sown with 

 the grain, but more often gets in from neglected fence corners or 

 hedge rows. It is a very hard} 7 , coarse plant, that seeds profusely 

 and would soon overrun a field if not checked. It is an annual, 

 hence careful cutting for one season would eradicate it. It is of 

 no value to the farmers of Maine, though it has been suggested as 

 a winter grass for the South, where some of its near relatives are 

 esteemed. It is rather to He regarded as a weed and should be 

 destroyed. It is not a native grass, but was introduced from 

 Europe. It may be recognized by the aid of the accompanying 

 cut and the following description : Flowering glume oblong, con- 

 vex on the back ; flowers lapping over one another before expand- 

 ing; lower empty glume distinctly 3 — 5 nerved, the upper 5 — 9 

 nerved, annual ; panicle spreading, even in fruit, the drooping 

 peduncles little branched ; spikelets oblong-ovate, turgid, smooth, 

 of 8 — 10 flowers ; glume rather longer than the palet, short awned 

 or awnless ; sheaths nearly glabrous. Growing in fields or waste 

 places as though introduced. 



Respectfully, 



F. L. Harvey, 



Botanist for the Station. 



