234 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
years were sachaline, a well-nigh worthless representa- 
tive of the smartweed family, and penicillaria (Fig. 49), 
which proved to be only pear] millet under another name. 
Many other instances might be mentioned. These 
new crops soon find their place in agriculture. Some 
of them have turned out to have considerable value in 
certain sections-of the country. Brome-grass (Bromus 
inermis) is a case in point. This grass began to be 
widely advertised about ten years ago in this country. 
It has turned out to be a valuable pasture grass in the 
Prairie States, and may in time win a place in all the 
Northern States, but it is absolutely worthless south 
of Missouri and Kentucky. For several years past 
Turkestan alfalfa has been the most prominent fad 
with farmers. It has not yet found its place in Amer- 
ican agriculture, but will undoubtedly do so in the 
near future, for the State experiment stations and the 
Department of Agriculture are giving it a thorough 
trial all over the country. 
Farmers will find it to their advantage to wait till 
these trials are finished. Experiments are costly. 
Individual farmers can usually avoid such expense by 
leaving this work to those whose business it is to con- 
duct experiments. Exorbitant claims for any new 
crop should be viewed with suspicion. Much useless 
expense would be saved to farmers by writing to the 
better class of agricultural journals, the experiment 
stations, and the National Department of Agriculture 
for information concerning any new and much-adver- 
tised crop, for these authorities are usually in posses- 
sion of all the reliable information to be had concerning 
such things. 
