GRASS CULTURE AND RANGE IMPROVEMENT 



25 



as the central latitude of eastern Colorado and western Kansas. This 

 grass decreases in importance as this line is approached from the 

 north and is superseded by sand dropseed and red three-awn in natural 

 revegetation farther south. Western wheatgrass occurs sparingly 

 throughout the southern Plains, but since the recent period of pro- 

 longed drought and excessive grazing it is confined mainly to the 

 lower lands and lightly grazed areas. Kennedy (38) reported in 

 1900 that western wheatgrass grew luxuriantly all over central Texas 

 and withstood the droughts to which that section of the country was 

 periodically subjected. 



In the southern Plains it is considered less palatable and not nearly 

 so resistant to drought and grazing as the short grasses, but is more 

 productive under favorable conditions and is considered fairly nutri- 

 tious at all stages of growth. This species is capable of spreading 

 rapidly by vigorous creeping rootstocks, which adds to its value as 

 a soil binder, assists in overcoming its susceptibility to close graz- 

 ing, and reduces the seeding rate required to obtain an excellent final 

 stand (fig. 13). Fairly viable seed has been harvested satisfactorily 



Figure 13. — Bluest em ('western wheatgrass) planted in rows in the fall of 1936 at 

 Woodward, Okla., as it appeared early in 1938, showing vigorous spreading habit. 



107572°— 39 4 



