15 



class of animal grasses there is a wider field for selection than in tbe 

 perennials, and they are obtainable from oar own and other countries. 



There are also many fodder plants, other than grasses, which need 

 careful trial. The family of leguminous plants furnishes a large num- 

 ber of these valuable species, such as the clovers, alfalfa, medicago, meli- 

 lotus, sainfoin or esparsett, vetch, peas, lotus, lupines, serradella, etc. 



There are also some native forage plants which deserve experiment. 

 We have several species of Lapinus in the Kocky Mountain region which 

 are vigorous growers and of large size, apparently more productive 

 than the usually cultivated foreign ones. Of Vicia and Lathyrus we 

 have also promising native kinds. Some of the native species of Air i- 

 plex are well known to furnish valuable winter forage for cattle, and it 

 may be well to ascertain what will be their value under cultivation, 

 especially for unusually sterile or sandy soil. 



Attention should be given to a combination of grasses for pastures, 

 some of which should be of early growth and some of later, so as to se- 

 cure a succession of feed during the entire season. The judicious blend- 

 ing of five or six species may be made to accomplish this result. 



By using such a mixture the ground may be more uniformly covered 

 and there will be a better succession of tender foliage. Some recent 

 experiments at the Missouri Agricultural College fully bear out this 

 conclusion. A 50-acre lot was sowed with five varieties of pasture grass 

 and three of clovers. Upon this 50 acres fifty-two head of cattle grazed 

 throughout the season, without making use of an adjacent pasture, a 

 part of which contained excellent blue grass, except at long periods, 

 and then only cursorily passing over it. 



In England great attention has been given to combining several kinds 

 of grasses in meadows and pastures, and it is claimed that the practice 

 is better for the land, and gives a larger yield than when only one 

 variety is employed. 



In any plan for experiments with grasses for the purpose above indi- 

 cated the element of time must receive large consideration. It must be 

 remembered that the seeds of wild species have first to be obtained in 

 small quantities and to be collected by hand, and that two years will 

 be consumed in getting fairly started. 



Having once obtained preliminary beds from which a stock of seed 

 may be easily obtained, the trials can be made on a larger scale. Sev- 

 eral acres of each kind of grass or fodder plant should be secured, with 

 careful note of their relative merits as to quality and yield. 



These experiments can not be completely satisfactory without ascer- 

 taining the conduct of the grasses in actual use as pastures, for it is 

 well known that some grasses will Dear the tramping and grazing of 

 cattle, w T hile others will not. 



The least attempt at a series of experiments, therefore, should cover 

 a period of five years, and there is great reason to expect that they 

 may be profitably continued for twice that time. 



