198 FARM GRASSES OP THE UNITED STATES 



surface, these soluble substances coUecft in the soil 

 until the quantity becomes so great as to be detrimental 

 to plant life. This produces alkali soils. Where 

 these salts are abundant in the soil they tend to colledl 

 in low places, where most of the evaporation occurs. 

 Irrigation frequently causes alkali to rise to the surface 

 on soils where plants grew readily at first, but which 

 soon became too salty from the evaporation of the salt- 

 laden water. 



Some species of plants have become adapted by 

 nature to these strong alkali soils. Among cultivated 

 crops there are varying degrees of resistance to alkali. 

 Alfalfa will grow on rather strongly alkaline soils. 

 Australian salt-bush thrives on decidedly strong alkali. 

 Neither of these are, however, true grasses. None of 

 the cultivated grasses is decidedly alkali loving, but 

 several wild species of the West are not averse to it. 

 The most useful of these are : 



Giant Rye-grass {Elymus condensatus) . — This 

 grass produces an abundance of good seed which could 

 easily be saved if a demand were created for it. It 

 grows in the wild state in large clumps, but when the 

 seed is sown at the rate of 25 or 30 lbs. per acre it 

 makes a uniform growth, and gives a large yield of 

 coarse but palatable hay. The hay is said, by those 

 who have fed it, to be very nutritious, but it contains 

 salts enough to make it decidedly laxative. It is, 

 therefore, better adapted for cows than for horses. 

 Yet some farmers who have grown it for horse- 

 feed speak highly of it. It deserves attention as a 

 hay grass on soils too strongly alkaline for alfalfa. 

 (A typical view on ranges of the West, showing 



