The Fairway strain, which has had some publicity, is shorter and 

 finer leaved and forms a more solid turf than the standard strain. 

 Fairway seems to be slightly less rugged and, despite appearance, is 

 much less palatable and less desirable for general use than the standard 

 strain. 



Intermediate wheatgrass Ugropyron intermedium) is a tall, introduced 

 perennial with short rhizomes that is showing considerable promise on 

 moderately dry to favorable sites. It has done well at Miles City, in 

 Judith Basin County, in the Bitterroot Valley, and at the Vigilante 

 Experimental Range on the Beaverhead National Forest (at 6,200 and 

 9,300 feet elevation). It starts early in the spring and stays green 

 longer than does crested wheatgrass. It is also more productive where 

 adapted. Limited experience in Montana indicates that it is palatable 

 and probably hardy under grazing. Seed is commercially available in 

 Washington and Oregon. A strain known as Ree wheatgrass, which is 

 apparently a natural mixture of intermediate and stiff hair wheatgrass 

 (A. trichophorum ) , is being produced in South Dakota. 



Blue stem wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii ) is a hardy, long-lived, sod- 

 forming native grass of medium height, which is especially important in 

 central and eastern Montana and the Dakotas where it is valuable both 

 for hay and pasture. It is especially adapted to medium and heavy soils 

 under intermediate to light rainfall, and is tolerant of alkali and 

 intermittent flooding. It is moderately resistant to grazing, is very 

 nutritious, moderately palatable, and cures up exceptionally well for 

 winter grazing. It has net been as successful for reseeding as crested 

 wheatgrass, due to the fact that it is slow to germinate, and high quality 

 seed is difficult to obtain. Breeding and selection efforts now under 

 way remove these drawbacks. Thin stands usually thicken up fairly 

 rapidly on adapted sites because the plant has vigorously spreading 

 rhizomes. Seed is harvested in the Northern Great Plains, and is avail- 

 able commercially at reasonable prices. Good seed of bluestem wheat- 

 grass contains about 100,000 seeds per pound, and if stored properly is 

 good for at least four years. It is frequently seeded in mixture with 

 crested wheatgrass on sites adapted to both. 



Slender wheatgrass (Agropyron trachycaulum ) is our most widely cultivated 

 native wheatgrass. It is a medium-sized, deep-rooted, perennial bunch- 

 grass which is native to many parts of the United States, and is common 

 on western mountain ranges. It is palatable and nutritious and moderately 

 resistant to grazing. Reseeded stands, though readily established, have 

 often proved to be short-lived, especially at the lower elevations. 

 Slender wheatgrass is adapted for range reseeding where annual precipi- 

 tation is above 16 inches and at the higher elevations. It should seldom 

 be seeded alone on the range, but preferably in mixture -with long-lived 

 species such as smooth brome or crested wheatgrass. High quality seed 

 is produced in Oregon and Washington and in the Northern Great Plains 

 area. There are about 160,000 seeds per pound. The seed commonly retains 

 high viability for only 3 or 4 years. Germination and purity both above 

 90 percent can reasonably be expected of commercial seed. 



-30- 



