15 CIRCULAR 491, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



since 1914. Grasshoppers were extremely numerous and damaging 

 to all stands, despite repeated efforts to control them. Under these 

 conditions, which could hardly be more adverse, the higher rates of 

 seeding, 20 pounds or more, gave the most satisfactory final stands. 

 None approached satisfaction until the rates exceeded 12 pounds. 

 Similar results were obtained in 1938. Since these are the results of 

 but 2 years, they are not conclusive, but they suggest caution against 

 extremely low rates of seeding. 



Although initial stand failures have resulted from many seedings 

 of blue grama attempted during drought years, other seedings made 

 under more favorable conditions at seeding time were so successful 

 that the stands were often too thick to survive subsequent drought. 

 In 1935 a thick seeding, estimated at more than 20 pounds per acre, 

 produced an excellent vigorous stand at Woodward (fig. 5). After 



':■ '", . 



Figure 5. — Blue grama sown at Woodward, Okla., in 1935, as it appeared in 

 1936, showing clean stand compared with weedy plots of other grasses in the 

 background. 



becoming apparently well established and producing seed the first 

 year, many of the plants died during the drought of 1936, and practi- 

 cally all of the remainder died in 1937. It is probable that this stand 

 was too thick to become properly rooted before additional drought 

 ensued. Similar results were obtained from seedings irrigated only 

 at seeding time in the fall of 1936, when blue grama was seeded 

 thickly on September 12. An extremely thick stand resulted and sur- 

 vived the winter in excellent condition. Most of the plants died dur- 

 ing the drought of 1937. In the same seeding galleta grass survived 

 with much less injury. 



The 7 main survivors of the 70 species and strains seeded on April 

 21, 1937, are listed in descending order of drought survival of first- 

 year growth: Galleta grass, hairy grama, buffalo grass, blue grama, 

 plains bristlegrass, sand dropseed, and rough rush grass. Very little 



