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CIRCULAR 491, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



HAIRY GRAMA 



Hairy grama occurs sparingly on rocky, caliche, and sandy soils 

 throughout the region. Unlike blue grama it seldom occurs thick 

 enough in natural stands to justify harvesting for seed; consequently, 

 seed supplies must be increased by artificial means. Its palatability 

 is considered equal to blue grama, but the forage production is usually 

 less. Its range of greatest usefulness is limited to sandy soils and 

 to other sites less favorable for the maximum development of blue 

 grama. Several vigorous strains of this species, isolated at Wood- 

 ward, have produced growth comparable to the better strains of blue 

 grama (fig. 12). Griffiths and his coworkers (30. p. 13) reports as 





#^ 



Figure 12.- — A selection of hairy grama, showing growth comparable with that 

 of blue grama (fig. 19). The bicolored sections on rule are 3 inches long. 



follows concerning this grass, which he calls "rough grama" : 



The habits of the species render it of much less value than its close rela- 

 tive, the blue grama, but on account of its very wide distribution and abund- 

 ance as a filler over large areas it is a very important species. It is not a 

 well-rooted species, and consequently does not withstand trampling by stock 

 very well. 



BLUESTEM (WESTERN WHEATGRASS) 



Bluestem or western wheatgrass is one of the first perennial species 

 to reoccupv abandoned fields in the northern Plains and as far south 



