\ ■ SLENDER WHEAT-GRASS. 31 



Bromus inermis. It is therefore very rich in two of the most impor- 

 tant food constituents, and this accounts for its great feeding value 

 as demonstrated by the practical feeder. One other character 

 which may be mentioned is the comparatively concentrated form of 

 the cured hay; that is, the weight per unit volume is great as com- 

 pared with most hay grasses. 



Breeding work was begun with western wheat-grass at the High- 

 more substation by Prof. W. A. Wheeler in 1905. These breeding 

 plats were visited several times by the writer, the last visit having 

 been made in August, 1908. At this time there appeared to be 

 considerable uniformity in many of the progeny rows from the first 

 selections. South Dakota No. 34-89 was uniformly more spreading 

 than the rows at each side of it: No. 34-105 was also noticeably 

 spreading in habit of growth, while No. 34-81 was close growing, show- 

 ing a slight approach to bunch-grass habit. 



Breeding work was begun at the Bellefourche Experiment Farm 

 in 1908 with bulk seed harvested from natural meadows near the 

 farm. It is desired to secure a drought-resistant and productive 

 strain, suitable for establishing permanent grass meadows on unirri- 

 gated land. It is very important to improve the seed production 

 and percentage germination of the seed and the early growth habits 

 of the plant. The germination of the seed is poor and slow and the 

 early growth is not vigorous. It is therefore difficult to obtain a 

 good stand of the grass. Both spring and autumn seeding are being 

 tested to determine which method will produce the better stand. 

 The results so far are not conclusive. 



A breeding nursery has been established with single plants in hills 

 42 inches apart each way. These were grown from seed planted in 

 the field in 1909. 



SLENDER WHEAT-GRASS. 



Slender wheat-grass, botanically known as Agropyron tenerum, 

 appeared to be valuable as a cultivated hay grass in variety tests 

 by the South Dakota substation at Highmore, and by the Office of 

 Forage-Crop Investigations at Bellefourche. The seed germinates 

 freely and the first season's growth is good, so that there is not the 

 difficulty in securing a stand that is experienced with western wheat- 

 grass; but this species is apparently not so drought resistant as brome- 

 grass and western wheat-grass. 



Seed collected from plants growing native in western South Dakota 

 was planted in the grass nursery at Bellefourche in 1908 (PL IV, 

 Hg. 2). In 1909 individual plants were selected from this nursery 

 and these will form the basis of the breeding work with this grass. 



196 



