BuERATj OB' Ageictjlttjeb. 263 



"Thorbum's Grass Mixture for Railroad Banks, 

 etc.," was described as "A mixture of grasses with long, 

 interlacing, matting roots, that will bind steep embank- 

 ments, gravelly, or sandy slopes, etc., preventing wash- 

 outs by rainstorms and covering with permanently green 

 turf. Price per bushel of 22 pounds, $4.00. 



A grass that will take firm hold of loose soils and 

 cover them completely, so as to prevent washing, is 

 greatly needed by railroad companies and by farmers in 

 some localities. Some of the best grasses have a very 

 limited usefulness in this direction, while others of less 

 value for forage, bind and protect enbankments very 

 effectively. What is wanted is a hardy grass of rapid 

 growth and vigorous habit. It should spread by under- 

 ground shoots, since such grasses are the ones which 

 most completely cover the surface and, favored by mois- 

 ture in the soil, spread at times when grasses dependent 

 on their seeds for dissemination remain at a standstill. 

 Kentucky blue grass is one of the best known species 

 presenting this manner of spreading. Canada blue grass 

 is another species, scarcely less well, though not so 

 favorably known. 



For binding poor gravelly soils, it sometimes proves 

 the better of the two. Tall meadow fescue pushes out in 

 all directions in the same way. The western wheat grass, 

 (Agrolyron spicatum), is very persistent in pushing out 

 under the ground and constantly makes work in our plots 

 by invading the paths. For the south, Bermuda grass 

 has a value of this sort. Ordinary crab grass (Synther- 

 isms sanguinalis ) , though an annual, is an excellent 

 binder, and becomes a great pest in cultivated ground as 

 a consequence, for it grows in both good and poor soils. 

 Johnson grass (sorghum halapense), is persistent and 

 troublesome because of its underground shoots. 



If I were making up a mixture for binding embank- 

 ments, I should certainly employ some, or all, of these 

 grasses, and if I wanted leguminous plants to go with 

 them, sweet clover, Japan clover, and white clover would 

 be my choice. 



Thorbum's mixture sown in April, 1905, gave a 

 good stand, consisting of red-top largely and crab-grass, 

 the latter probably volunteer, as it is a common weed in 



