return to Washington. The proposed investigation takes up more 

 particularly the question of range improvement in the arid regions 

 and incidentally the testing of spineless cacti and other drought- 

 resistant plants that promise to be of value in the section. In order 

 to secure anything like satisfactory results it will be necessary to 

 carry on these investigations for a term of years and the plans should 

 be made accordingly. There are other problems of great importance 

 in this Territory, but all are much more local in nature than that of 

 range improvement. In some sections, as in the region about 

 Phoenix, the dairying industry is coming to be one of considerable 

 importance and there is a demand for a greater variety of crops suit- 

 able for dairy stock. At the present time alfalfa with the addition 

 of certain cereals, such as barley, wheat, and oats, affords practically 

 all of the forage. The relatively large area of alkali lands occurring 

 in this Territory makes the question of forage crops resistant to 

 alkali one of vast importance, ranking next to the question of range 

 improvement. 



An important thing to be considered in connection with the pro- 

 posed investigations in the matter of range improvement is that the 

 region in which the investigations are to be undertaken is quite 

 representative not only of a large part of Arizona, but also of Nevada, 

 New Mexico, Utah, and western Texas. 



WYOMING. 



This station has already done a considerable amount of work in 

 cooperation with the Division of Agrostology, particularly in investi- 

 gating the condition of the ranges and testing drought-resisting 

 grasses and forage plants, seed of which was furnished by the 

 Division. The authorities thoroughly appreciate the value of cooper- 

 ation in grass and forage plant investigations, and are desirous of 

 joining the Department wherever work can be undertaken to advan- 

 tage. Naturally in a State devoted so largely to grazing the range 

 problem is a most important one. However, experiments now in 

 progress in connection with the South Dakota Experiment Station 

 at Highmore will apply equally well to the larger part of Wyoming. 

 and it would seem desirable to join this station in the investigation 

 of some other problem. Next to the question of range improvement, 

 the problems calling for investigation in this section, stated in their 

 order of relative importance, are: (1) Drought-resistant crops, (2) 

 alkali-resistant crops, and (3) crops suitable tor growing at rela- 

 tively high altitudes. The Wyoming station is well situated for 

 taking up any or all of these problems. The station authorities 

 are particularly anxious to take up the question of alkali-resistant 

 forage crops, and it would seem desirable to arrange tor experiments 

 along this line at an early date. The botanist and the agriculturist 



