GRASSES FOR CANAL BANKS IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. 25 
than 1 per cent of alkali is present it will be difficult to start even 
the most resistant grasses. 
Drought is an even more sericus obstacle in starting grasses on 
the ditch banks and is the general cause of failure to secure a good 
sod. The upper part of the canal banks is often very dry, since the 
steep slope is unfavorable to the penetration of rain water and since 
the seepage or capillary water does not rise to this height. After 
the more drought-resistant grasses are once well started they will be 
able to survive any ordinary period of drought. On the smaller 
ditch banks and on the lower slopes of the larger canal banks mois- 
ture is generally so abundant that there should be no difficulty in 
establishing a good growth of grass. 
The growth of annual weeds, especially Russian thistle, hinders 
the growth of grass during the first season. If, however, the canal 
bank is harrowed at frequent intervals during one summer, espe- 
cially after each rain, this treatment will destroy the growth of 
weeds and conserve moisture, which will put the soil in good condi- 
tion for seeding early the following spring. 
Live stock should not be allowed to graze on the newly seeded 
canal banks until the grass is well established. The trampling of 
stock, cattle especially, kills out many of the young plants on the 
steep slopes, and close grazing also is injurious to the new growth of 
grass until a sod is obtained. 
It is not probable that all of these adverse conditions—alkah, 
drought, the competition of weeds, and close grazing—will be en- 
countered in every part of the area, but a combination of grasses 
should be planted which will endure any of these conditions as well 
as possible. Some of the experiments with the different grasses de- 
scribed in this paper were made under very adverse conditions, while 
others were made under more favorable conditions. 
OUTLINE OF THE EXPERIMENTS. 
The first planting was made in 1907 on the south canal near the 
storage dam. Three plantings were made in 1908: One on the sur- 
face of the storage dam, one on the south canal near the present 
town of Nisland, and one on the Indian Creek lateral on the farm of 
Mr. George Maass. Duplicate plantings were made again in 1909 
and 1910 on the farm of Mr. Maass. Each species was seeded on a 
section of the canal bank about 20 feet wide, the plat extending 
from the water line on the inner surface over the bank to the ground 
level on the outside. The time of the different seedings ranged from 
the first of April to the middle of June. 
GRASSES AND OTHER PLANTS TESTED. 
Several of the common hay and pasture grasses have been tested 
for the purpose of soil binding. The list includes brome-grass, west- 
| [Cir. 115] 
