BROME-GRASS 



171 



of the absence of laws in this country to protect farmers 

 against worthless seeds, the quality of imported brome- 

 seed has been generally very poor. In growing this 

 seed it is extremely important to allow it to ripen thor- 

 oughly. This can be done, as the grass holds its seed 

 well. It is best to let it stand till it begins to shatter 

 a little, unless the grower is expert enough to tell by 

 other signs wdien it is ready to cut. If cut too early 

 the seed is so light that it cannot be cleaned properly 

 and will not germinate readily. Brome-seed of the 

 highest quality is grown in eastern Washington and 

 northern Idaho, where this seed is a standard on the 

 markets. Good seed is also produced in the Dakotas 

 and neighboring States. 



In sod-forming character brome-grass is much like 

 blue-grass, but is much coarser, and not so pleasing in 

 color. The one character wdiich first gained recogni- 

 tion for it in this country is its ability to grow under 

 * adverse climatic conditions. It is not a desert grass 

 by any means, but, in cold climates, it will grow on as 

 dry land as any of the tame grasses. It has about the 

 same ability to grow on dry land as alfalfa, but, unlike 

 the latter, it does not thrive in warm climates. 



Brome-grass has had several names applied to it by 

 seed dealers and agricultural w T riters, such as " awn- 

 less brome, ' ' ' ' Hungarian brome, " ' ' Russian brome,' ' 

 "Russian forage grass," "beardless brome," etc., 

 but the farmers who grow it use the simple name 

 "brome-grass." It is frequently confused with the 

 so-called broom-sedge grasses of the South and West 

 — grasses very different from it in all essential char- 

 acters. 



