ranchers to see the necessity of some efforts towards improving the 

 present conditions, and we found the people interested in this work. 

 Some have already undertaken experiments on their own account in 

 cultivating the native meadow grasses or rinding some means of 

 improving the meadows. At Alamosa we talked with a gentleman 

 who had tried various methods of improving his native meadows by 

 harrowing and by sowing seeds collected from about stacks of native 

 hay. This and other similar cases show that the people are inter- 

 ested and recognize the need of efforts to improve the present 

 conditions. 



Mr. A. B. Leckenby, who had charge of the work in Washington 

 and Oregon, sent in over half a ton of various seeds secured at 

 Walla Walla, Wash. , along the Columbia River, and on the Pacific 

 Coast near Morrison, Oreg. He obtained large quantities of several 

 native grasses, especially range grasses and species adapted for use 

 as sand and soil binders. 



SEEDS OF NATIVE, OR WILD, GRASSES OBTAINED BY PURCHASE. 



Besides the seeds collected by the agents and employees of the 

 Division, a considerable quantit}^ of native grass seed has been secured 

 by purchase from persons living in localities where seeds of desired 

 varieties could be secured. In this way seeds were procured from 

 Michigan, Nebraska, Idaho, and southern New Mexico. The diffi- 

 culties connected with the collecting, thrashing, and cleaning of 

 native seeds makes the securing of them in quantity rather expensive. 

 The grasses are rarely found in sufficient abundance to permit their 

 being harvested in the ordinary manner, so that the harvesting has 

 to be all done by hand, either cutting the heads with a sickle or, 

 where the plants are scarce and much scattered, picking them 

 separately. 



A number of most excellent grasses are at present precluded from 

 becoming generally introduced into cultivation or of commercial 

 importance by reason of the great difficulties surrounding the thrash- 

 ing, cleaning, and general manipulation of the seeds. Among 

 these we may mention particularly the forms provided with long, 

 rough, and troublesome awns, as the feather grasses, needle grasses, 

 and beard grasses, and some of the wild ryes. Others are very trou- 

 blesome on account of the cottony down with which the seed is 

 surrounded. There is little doubt, however, that by the proper cul- 

 tivation and selection of varieties some of these grasses may be so 

 modified that the objectionable parts may be eliminated. We believe 

 that experiments in this direction would prove very interesting and 

 profitable, and that they should be undertaken at as early a date as 

 possible. 



