HISTORY OF THE SECOND YEAR’S WORK. 21 
The lower levels were drained of moisture by the bed of a small stream 
which ran through the east side of the garden and which only at times, 
after hard rains, held water. The soil extending from these levels 
was dry as wellas thin. It was quite the usual thing for visitors to 
the station to notice and comment on the fact that a more unpromis- 
ing spot for garden purposes could hardly have been selected, and this 
was in fact true; but they did not always note that this particular 
10-acre tract was about as rich as the other 630 acres of the section, 
nor did they consider the very important fact that a line of successful 
experiments, secured under the most favorable conditions, would - 
possess but small value in the estimation of the average farmer and 
stockman of central Texas. As above stated, the section as a whole 
was selected because it was not a rich body of land, as well as for the 
reason that as a cattle range it had been badly overstocked and 
generally abused; and the 10 acres included in the grass garden had 
been selected for the very reason that condemned it in the estimation 
of visitors generally, namely, because the soil was.thin and dry and 
otherwise below the average of the garden land throughout central 
Texas. : | 
It is well in this connection to suggest to farmers and stockmen who 
are interested in such work as was done in the station garden that if 
under the unfavorable conditions through which that work was prose- 
cuted even a fair success has been secured, they should feel encouraged 
to experiment themselves on similar lines, having richer soils to depend 
on in the first place, and better seasons, as a rule, to look forward to. 
The normal average rainfall throughout the central Texas country 
being about 30 inches, it is prudent to figure on that much in making 
calculations for further experimental work. 
During the first two years’ work near Abilene the average precipi- 
tation was less than 20 inches during the first and less than 26 inches 
during the second—only 45.29 inches during the twenty-four months, 
when 60 inches might reasonably have been expected—a shortage of 
14.71 inches. Nevertheless, as the following record will demonstrate, 
the grass-garden experiments were not barren of encouraging results. 
True, of the several varieties of grasses tested most turned out poorly, 
but quite a number were found to be well suited to the semiarid regions. 
The greatest successes were secured with the native grasses, and farmers 
and stockmen of the section are earnestly recommended to give special 
attention to such grasses as side-oats grama, blue grama, black grama, 
rescue grass, buffalo grass, grapevine mesquite, and Canadian rye grass. 
Many others might be mentioned as being easily grown from the seed, 
but as the result of the second years’ station work those enumerated 
gave the best results. 
It is not necessary to tell central Texas stockmen and farmers that 
_ curly mesquite. needle grass, knot grass, everlasting grass, and feather 
