12 



2. Andropogon HalUi. — This species much resembles the preceding, 

 but the culms are stouter, the leaves thicker and more succuleut, 

 the flower spikes are larger, and the flowers more hairy. It prevails 

 iu very sandy soil, and is most frequent in western Kansas and Colo- 

 rado, also in ^Nebraska and northward along the Missouri Eiver. The 

 leaves and stem are commonly of a light bluish-green color. This will 

 probably be well adapted to light sandy soils. 



3. Andropogon scoparius. — This is very common on prairies, and is 

 sometimes called short or small blue-joint, sometimes bunch-grass, and 

 sometimes wire-grass. It grows in dense tufts or bunches, both on 

 lowland and in thin soils on bluffs and hills. It is in most places a 

 constituent of prairie hay, and if cut early makes good feed. 



4. Stipa spar tea, called porcupine grass, arrow-grass, and devil's knit- 

 ting-needles, from the long, stiff, twisted awns inclosing the seed. 

 These awns are said to be injurious to stock, and particularly to sheep, 

 as their sharp points penetrate the wool and sometimes the flesh. But 

 the seeds ripen early (about the 1st of July, according to Professor 

 Crozier), and during the rest of the season the grass is well marked by 

 the tall culms bearing the bleached, empty, oat-like panicles. But the 

 long root-leaves continue to grow and furnish valuable feed until late in 

 the season. It should receive attention in any experiments for a past- 

 ure grass. It is the buffalo grass of the Saskatchawan region. 



5. Sporobolns lieterolepis, called bunch-grass, and wire-grass, from the 

 abundant, long, wiry leaves and stems. I found it a considerable ele- 

 ment in the prairies of southern Dakota, and it occurs southward to 

 Texas. It was also common on the prairies of Illinois and Wisconsin 

 before the incoming of settlements. West of the 100th meridian, how- 

 ever, especially in sandy soils, this species is replaced by two others 

 of the same genus, viz : Sporobolus cri/ptandrus and 8. airoides. All 

 these species should receive attention. 



G. Deyeuxia Canadensis, frequently called red-top, and sometimes also 

 blue-joint. Professor Crozier, who spent some time in northwestern 

 Iowa and adjacent parts of Minnesota and Dakota, in studying the na- 

 tive grasses, says: "This is considered by some to produce the best 

 hay, for cattle, of all the native grasses. It is very leafy and stands re- 

 markably thick upon the ground. The seed ripens early in July, but 

 the leaves remain green until winter. It is probably hardly equal to 

 some of the upland grasses in quality, but it gives a larger yield, and 

 is undoubtedly worthy of cultivation. It is usually found upon the 

 margins of ponds ; it will thrive, however, on land that is only slightly 

 moist, and often occurs along the banks of roadside ditches. On rather 

 low land which has been broken and allowed to go back it frequently 

 comes in, and after a few years occupies the land to the exclusion of all 

 other vegetation." 



This species, athough promising for moist laud, would perhaps fail on 

 arid soil, but there are other species of the genus prevailing in the 



