10 
SOME COLORADO GRASSES. 
streams. Cowania (the cliff rose) abounds on the banks 
of the Poudre. Among the rocks, in good soils, growing- 
in tufts, are Elymus Sibericus, Agropyrum divergens in two 
forms. Bouteloua racemosa , on the east face of the 
mountains. At one place only was Festuca Kingii seen. 
The several species of “ loco ” occur at all eleva¬ 
tions. Oxytropis Lamberti occurs at all elevations in a 
variety of forms. Sophora sericea most abundant at 
5,000 feet, and in heavy soils. It is affected with a fun¬ 
gus in this locality. Astragalus bisulcatus, with flowers of 
various shades of red and white, abounds in moist ground. 
Astragalus caespitosa was seen only in one place. A. 
Udydenianus and Drummondii are abundant in the foothills 
of the Medicine Bow range. 
The best mountain meadows seen were, in all cases, 
those but recently cleared of under-brush and irrigated 
but one or two seasons, but owing to the very imprudent 
use of water in all of the meadows seen, these desirable 
species are drowned out and their places taken by foxtail 
( Hordeum ), Agrostis scabra, and by many species of rushes 
and sedge. 
The method of irrigating seems to be to turn on the 
water early in the season and allow it to run until within 
a few days of haying. Applying water to plants should 
be managed so as to occur while the plants are in active 
growth. When a sufficient irrigation has been given the 
water should be taken off, as all the finer grasses and use¬ 
ful plants are impatient of standing water about their 
roots. The number of irrigations and the quantity can 
only be determined by the owner. His judgment will be 
based upon the rainfall during the early part of the 
season, when hay is made, and the character of the 
soil and subsoil. 
All the sedges seem to be known to ranchmen as 
wire grass. The species most highly valued is Carex 
