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8 NATIVE LEGUMES IN NEBRASKA AND KANSAS. 
All but two of the Lespedezas were counted in 1909 on a single plat 
at Fort Scott, Kans., where four species were found. This genus 
is abundant in the vicinity. Morognia appeared on a single plat at 
Reece, Kans. This plant occurs throughout the region, but is not 
generally distributed over the prairies. Vicia is quite generally dis- 
tributed, but occurs almost entirely in dense patches which occa- 
sionally cover many acres; hence the large number of individuals 
found on the small number of plats. It is much more common in the 
short-grass country than where bluestem grows. Vicia linearis is 
the only species found in the central and western part of the territory, 
while V. americana is more common in the east, where it occurs on 
river bottoms and in brush patches. Baptisia is confined to the 
eastern part of the territory and seldom assumes much importance 
because the number of plants is almost always small. Meibomia 
is also restricted to the eastern part of the territory. Aragallus, 
Lotus, and Vicia are most abundant in the short-grass country and 
for about 100 miles farther east. Aragallus is most common on the 
tops of hills and the banks of draws where the soil is poor. ! 
Tables | and II show the number and variety of native legumes on 
some of the plats in Nebraska and Kansas. 
The counts in the ditch by the railroad are in marked contrast to 
those on the adjoining prairie. These shallow ditches were lines of 
white for miles, all filled with silver-leafed Psoralea. Whether the 
dominance of Psoralea in the ditches is due to additional moisture 
or to the destruction of. the grasses it is impossible to say. There is 
some evidence, however, that the abundance of these legumes in the 
ditches is due to the destruction of the grass and the removal of the 
soil, exposing the subsoil, which contains less nitrogen, and so is 
less favorable to the growth of nonleguminous plants. In many 
places on the level land where the grass has been killed by stock, 
stacks, or breaking Psoralea has come in thickly. In nearly all the. 
short-grass country except where Vicia linearis is encountered the 
number of legumes is much less than in the long-grass country, but 
on the slopes where the soil is poor and buffalo grass and grama grass 
do not thrive legumes are plentiful. This suggests that it may be 
more the struggle with the grasses than with drought that keeps 
down the legumes. 
Approved: 
JAMES WILSON, 
Secretary of Agriculture. 
WasHINGTON, D. C., August 3, 1910. 
{Cir. 70] 
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