GRAI-tll'TEAE 



from fields properly levelled by discing and systematically flooded 

 during the rainy season. Sometimes entire fields of this species 

 are badly infested with ergot and these must be carefully avoided. 



*Hilaria rigida, Big Galleta. A'e do not commonly expect 

 to find grasses in this country which can be classed as bushes. 

 Big Galleta, however, has woody perennial stems and branches at 

 the base much like many of our shrubs. It is very common and in 

 many places abundant in our warmest regions of the southwest 

 where the rainfall frequently falls below three inches per annum. 

 In many places it grows flowers and fruits almost continuously 

 throughout the year, its periods of activity depending on the rain- 

 fall rather than on the season. Almost pure stands of it occur in 

 the Kingman, Arizona region, on the plains east of Yuma, and on many 

 of the lowlands in the extreme southwestern part of Arizona, It 

 seems to have little choice in soil requirements, growing equally 

 well in regions of drifting sand and rather heavy adobe soil. It 

 is not uncommon well up in the mountains on very rocky slopes. 



Owing to the A r ery bunchy nature of this grass it can hardly 

 be classed as an excellent erosion control agent. Its wide dis- 

 tribution, however, permits the wider distribution of stock, thus 

 preventing heavy trampling in localized areas. 



VJhile the palatability of this species is lowwhen the entire 

 plant is comidcrcd, it produces ' a relatively large -amount of pala- 

 table loaves which form a large part of the forage in certain regions. 



Several attempts have been made to transplant ""the heavy rhi- 

 zomes of this plant in the nursery without success, and young seed- 

 lings seem to have a low tolerance for alkali* The use of this very 

 valuable species will don end almost entirely on the development of 

 nursery or seed collecting technique. The plant must be induced 

 by some system of cutting back or harvesting to produce seed at 

 definite intervals. This may be accomplished in the field or with 

 cultivated plants in the nursery, 



Hyparrho nia hirta . This exotic is a bunch grass which forms 

 dense clumps about four feet or more high. It seems well suited 

 for a lo'vY windbreak and as a sand binder, though it is not creeping 

 or rhizomatouc . It is not hardy in the cooler p-rts of our region. 

 Hitchcock reports it as probably having little forage value. 



Tool eric, cri stata, June Grass • This is widely distributed 

 in the west and southwest. Anile it does not comonlv or possibly, 

 over, form pure stands, it still constitutes an appreciable 1 part 



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