722 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



tirety, having no waste. It is also an abundant grass. Our average 

 heigM in Montana is about a foot. It is found everywhere in this 

 State. 



Another of Montana's sources of wealth lies in her rich, nutritious 

 Agrojpyrums, of which we have seven species, viz: A. caninum, A. di- 

 rcrgens, A. glaucum, A. repens, A. strigosum (Beauv.), A. tenerum, and 

 A.violaceum. These grasses tend to grow tall and thus are richer food 

 for cattle than for sheep, but sheep never pass them by, as they are 

 storehouses of nutriment very acceptable. Our July and August suns 

 cure them as they stand, and thus they become the forage of hungry 

 cattle all winter long. No more valuable hay can be found the whole 

 country over than this natural product of Montana — covering her hills 

 and mountains with fatness. A traveler is often heard inquiring with 

 utter astonishment : " What can those cattle find to eat up there on 

 those dry and barren hills"?" The botanist would quickly reply: " Sir, 

 those cattle are feeding on the most nutritious hay to be found on the 

 American continent; they are feeding on Poas, Agropyrums, Boutel- 

 ouas, and other grasses sun-cured into hay, uncut and in most excellent 

 condition." No more common remark is ever heard upon our railroad 

 trains than the exprcvssion of wonder at what the cattle and sheep find 

 upon our apparently bare and bleak hills and benches and plains. 

 Most of these grasses do not form a continuous sod, as they do in a 

 heaven-watered land; hence the name " bunch grass," which is a meant 

 ingless term so far as distinguishing the species is concerned, bu- 

 which well describes the prevailing tendencies of all our grasses. The 

 soil therefore shows through the grass, and so gives to our landscape 

 a grayish tint as one looks out upon it. We miss that delightfully rich 

 green tint of a New Engl and or a Southern landscape. But the grasses 

 themselves seem to have more nutriment in them than our Eastern 

 grasses. 



Omission must not be made of the various Stipas among our valuable 

 bunch grasses. These Stipas have a long, objectionable, stiff awn, and 

 a sharp-pointed stipe at the base of the flower. Three species are 

 abundant, namely : Stijm comata, 8. spartea, and 8. viridula. The sharp 

 stipe, assisted by the three to five or more times twisted awn, works its 

 way into the hides of sheep and forms sores of a serious nature. This 

 is especially true of 8tipa spartea, which is a coarse and not a valuable 

 grass when one considers the dangerous awn and stipes, which have 

 been styled far more appropriately than is usual with popular names, 

 "Devil's darning needle." Fortunately it is not an abundant grass. 

 The other two Stipas are rich, valuable and abundant, S. nridulaheing 

 of especial value for its juicy root and base leaves and the nutritious 

 ripe seeds; while 8Upa comata is especially valuable on our plains, 

 being hardy, and the clustered base leaves very acceptable to all graz- 

 ing animals. 8tipa viridula has no objectionable feature at all, and 

 fortunately is quite abundant on good soil. A good illustration of its 

 panicle is found in Dr. Vasey's "The Agricultural Grasses, etc.," Plate 



