UPLAND CROPS. 
13 
been tried. Yields of eighty-three bushels per acre have 
been reported. The average yield is estimated at fifteen 
bushels per acre. The variety planted is mostly “California 
Feed” barley, and it is used at home for feed almost exclu¬ 
sively. 
Rye —This crop is but little grown. Not enough found 
upon which to base an estimate. But, in 1899, a crop was 
grown on a field of black sandy soil near Cope which yielded 
seventeen bushels per acre. No rain fell upon this field 
between seeding and harvesting. 
Flax —We have found men near Ashland and Thurman 
who have raised good crops of flax. So few raised it that 
what was raised was not readily sold, so production ceased. 
It has not been generally tried. 
Native Hay —The valleys of the North branch of the 
Smoky Hill river, the three valleys of the Republican, the 
valley of the Big Sandy, and the Sand hills furnish consider¬ 
able native hay every year. We made no attempt to make 
a collection of native hay plants this year. Hay is usually 
cut about two years in every five on the uplands. This con¬ 
sists mainly of several species of grama grass and Colorado 
bluestem (which is known also as bluegrass, elk grass, June 
grass and probably by several other names.) In traveling 
over the county, I noted that Colorado bluestem is taking 
posession of land which has been broken, and abandoned. 
It appears to successfully dispute the right of occupancy with 
the Russian thistle. We have also seen it invading unculti¬ 
vated timber claims and growing quite rank among the 
trees. 
Russian Thistles —Russian thistles are quite common in 
all the regions studied except in about two townships near 
Idalia and five near Vernon. Wherever the Russian thistle 
has obtained what seems to be a permanent foothold, the 
settlers are using it quite largely for forage. Thousands of 
tons of it are now stacked up for use during the winter. We 
issued a press bulletin concerning “The Russian Thistle as a 
Forage Plant,” in July, 1900. This bulletin was widely 
quoted. 
Salt Weed —(Atriplex, sp?) This plant is found on the 
upper part of the South fork of the Republican as far down 
as Seibert, and in the western half of Cheyenne county. It 
seems to prefer an adobe soil containing considerable alkali. 
The stock that range where it grows do not eat salt, as they 
get enough salt to supply their needs by occasionally taking 
a bite of salt weed. 
Wm. Lang, who lives near Cheyenne Wells, made hay 
