GRAMINEAE 



be considered of value for forage. 



*Eragrostis curvula, Giant Love Grass. In 1934 "the nursery 

 at Tucson received" a small packet of seed of Eragr o stis curvula , a 

 perennial grass from South Africa. In 1937 the first seed crop in- 

 crease from the original packet was more than two tons of cleaned 

 seed. A second crop was harvested later. It yielded slightly less. 

 This grass is an exotic and was grown under irrigation. It remains 

 green practically the entire year and produces a heavy hay and seed 

 crop early. A seed crop was harvested at Tucson by June 15 in 1937* 

 Experiments on the range indicate that the grass is very drought 

 resistant and able to reseed itself at least to some extent. To be 

 sure no such results on yield can be anticipated from open range 

 grass but if it can withstand our dry seasons and provide a grass 

 cover as well as desirable forage, it should prove to be a worth- 

 while contribution. 



Since this grass provides forage of fair value and can be 

 readily cut for hay, there may be those who will desire to raise the 

 grass either as hay or as a seed crop. At present there is no call 

 for the seed owing to the fact that ranchers and farmers do not 

 know anything about the grass. When it is learned, however, that 

 about three tons of hay can be produced per acre per year and that 

 this has none of the objectionable features of Johnson grass or that 

 approximately 1,000 pounds of seed can be harvested per acre per year, 

 many ranchers may desire to grow a small acreage of it* 



This grass was tried in 1937 in several localities to deter- 

 mine its ability to survive and to reproduce itself on the range. 

 Observations on these plantings will largely determine future policy 

 in growing this grass for seed on the nurseries. It has been sug- 

 gested since this is likely to freeze out in our colder regions, 

 that it be tried as an annual. YiTith this in mind seed will be 

 planted in othor regions than the Gila. Seed planted in 193^ °n the 

 Albuquerque Nursery produced a good stand. While this stand was 

 quite severely injured during the winter of 1936-37* there was still 

 a marked survival. 



♦Eragrostis lehmann iana, Geniculate Love Grass. Seed of this 

 exotic from South Africa was sent to the nursery at Tucson labeled 

 E. parosa At the beginning of the second season it was discovered 

 to be a well rooted perennial and as E. parosa is an annual the 

 name was revised, This is not as heavy a hay yielder as E. cur vula 

 nor does it rroducc so much seed. In the spring when E. curvul a 

 is a rani: luscious growth of green, this grass is merely beginning 

 to show a little new growth. While all of this may seem to recommend 



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