BROME-GRASS r7t 
of the absence of laws in this country to protect farmers 
against worthless seeds, the quality of imported brome- 
seed has been generally very poor. In growing this 
seed it is extremely important to allow it to ripen thor- 
oughly. This can be done, as the grass holds its seed 
well. It is best to let it stand till it begins to shatter 
a little, unless the grower is expert enough to tell by 
other signs when it is ready tocut. If cut too early 
the seed is so light that it cannot be cleaned properly 
and will not germinate readily. Brome-seed of the 
highest quality is grown in eastern Washington and 
northern Idaho, where this seed is a standard on the 
markets. Good seed is also produced in the Dakotas 
and neighboring States. 
In sod-forming character brome-grass is much like 
blue-grass, but is much coarser, and not so pleasing in 
color. The one character which first gained recogni- 
tion for it in this country is its ability to grow under 
adverse climatic conditions. It is not a desert grass 
by any means, but, in cold climates, it will grow on as 
dry land as any of the tame grasses. It has about the 
same ability to grow on dry land as alfalfa, but, unlike 
the latter, it does not thrive in warm climates. 
Brome-grass has had several names applied to it by 
seed dealers and agricultural writers, such as ‘‘awn- 
less brome,’’ ‘‘ Hungarian brome,’’ ‘‘ Russian brome,’’ 
‘‘Russian forage grass,’’ ‘‘beardless brome,’’ etc., 
but the farmers who grow it use the simple name 
‘*brome-grass.’’ It is frequently confused with the 
so-called broom-sedge grasses of the South and West 
—grasses very different from it in all essential char- 
acters. 
