INTRODUCTION. 
In June, 1895, Messrs. P. A. Rydberg and C. L. Shear were commis- 
sioned by the Secretary of Agriculture, for three months, as field agents 
to visit certain points in Nebraska, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Colo- 
rado. They were instructed to collect live roots of grasses, grass seeds, 
and sheaves of all the species observed. They were also instructed to 
collect three sets of herbarium specimens of all the native grasses and 
forage plants found, and to gather all the information possible from 
stockmen and farmers relative to any and all the plants which are held 
to be especially valuable during drought, and also to make observa- 
tions relative to the abundance and apparent value of the various 
grass species and the value of the regions visited for grazing or for the 
production of hay. The collections made by Messrs. Rydberg and 
Shear under these instructions were large and extremely valuable, the 
herbarium specimens and sheaves particularly so. Owing to the extent 
of territory covered and the time which it was possible to devote to 
actual field work, the collection of seeds was not so large as it might 
otherwise have been. The number of herbarium specimens amounted 
to over 4,000, among which was a new species of oat grass, which has 
been named, in honor of the Secretary of Agriculture, Avena mor- 
toniana. The field notes and general observations made by Messrs. 
Rydberg and Shear are embodied in the following report, presented by 
them at the close of their season's work. To this report is appended a 
classified list of the grasses and forage plants collected, giving the 
locality and date of collection of each species. Sets of these grasses 
have been distributed under the numbers designated in the list, and the 
list will be of value to botanists in working upon the geographical 
distribution of plants. There will doubtless be some modifications in 
the names of the species of Poa and Festuca when these genera come 
to be more critically studied, but the determinations have been made 
with great care and are as exact as our present knowledge of grasses 
will permit. 'The regions visited by the agents are of partieular inter- 
est to farmers, and especially to stock raisers, and any addition to the 
knowledge of the grasses and forage resources of this section of our 
country can not fail to be of value to those engaged in these pursuits. 
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