semiarid, and alkali regions of the West. Only continued and per- 

 sistent efforts in this direction will, however, secure permanent and 

 satisfactory results. The possibilities of any wild variety can not be 

 thoroughly determined except by a long and careful series of experi- 

 ments under varied conditions. There remain still other native spe- 

 cies from more or less inaccessible areas in the West and Southwest 

 which are no doubt worthy of investigation, and the efforts to secure 

 and experiment with any of these forms which give promise of value 

 in cultivation should be continued, and will, no doubt, finally add 

 many valuable varieties to our present list of cultivated forage crops, 

 not only for the West but for the whole country. 



Similar explorations and investigations might very profitably be 

 extended to our new Territories, which produce many forage plants 

 worthy of broader dissemination and capable of improvement. 



SOME OF THE PARTICULARLY PROMISING PLANTS OF WHICH SEEDS WERE SECURED 



IN QUANTITY. 



DRY MEADOW AND RANGE GRASSES. 



Western wheat-grass {Agropyron occidentale). — This is a grass which gives 

 promise of great value if it can be successfully cultivated. It is one of the most 

 abundant and highly prized grasses of the Rocky Mountain States, thriving well 

 upon very strong alkali soils as well as under very arid conditions. It is widely 

 distributed throughout the West, and seeds were obtained by nearly all our field 

 workers. 



Bunch wheat-grass (Agropyron spicatum). — This is a most valuable and abun- 

 dant grass on the ranges of the western slope of the Rockies and in Oregon and 

 Washington. It has been grown for several seasons at Walla Walla, and has 

 shown that it is easily adapted to cultivation. It grows luxuriantly with a very 

 scanty supply of moisture and furnishes an abundance of most excellent hay. It 

 gives great promise of usefulness for reseeding worn-out range lands. 



Slender wheat-grass {Agropyron tenerum). — This is one of the native Western 

 grasses which has already been introduced into cultivation and has proved suc- 

 cessful in the East as well as the West. It is quite a variable species, and by 

 proper selection of the better forms there is no doubt but that very valuable 

 additions to our hay grasses can be secured from it. 



Side-oats grama {Bouteloua curtipendula). — This is another very highly prized 

 native species, providing a great amount of pasturage as well as hay, especially 

 throughout the high plains from Dakota southward. The seeds which we 

 obtained were from a particularly robust and luxuriant form. The few experi- 

 ments already tried in cultivating this species indicate that it can probably be 

 introduced into cultivation very successfully and profitably. 



Blue grama {Bouteloua oligostachya).—A very luxuriant form of this species 

 was found in the Arkansas Valley. From the few experiments already under- 

 taken in cultivating this species, which is one of the most valuable range grasses 

 of the plains and also the lower mountain ranges, it appears that this grass will 

 prove equally valuable under cultivation for hay. 



Short-awned brome {Bromus marginatus). — This is a very promising grass 

 for cultivation for hay or pasture in situations where but a scanty supply of 

 water can be secured. It frequently grows to a height of three or four feet, and 

 has already been spoken of favorably by the ranchmen in eastern Oregon, who 

 have tried it. 



