Bromus Inermis. 
F. L. WATROUS. 
Referring to this grass, Press Bulletin No. 47, Kansas Agri¬ 
cultural Experiment Station, makes the following statements: 
“Awnless brome grass or Hungarian brome grass {Bromus inermis ) 
is a native of the dry, sandy regions of Europe and Western Asia. 
It is a perennial, about the size and somewhat the general appear¬ 
ance of Meadow fescue or English blue grass. It spreads by 
creeping underground stems or rootstocks. It has been tested by 
many of the experiment stations, from Canada and North Carolina 
to Mississippi and California. All recommended it highly for dry, 
sterile, light or sandy soil.” 
So far as known Bromus inermis was first grown in Colorado 
at the Arkansas Valley Substation in the year 1892. Out of many 
different varieties, it alone gave sufficient promise to encourage a 
second trial. In 1894 the home Station at Fort Collins began 
investigations as to its value, since which time several sowings have 
been made in a variety of soils and under widely dissimilar condi¬ 
tions. The grass has been grown on heavy clay with scant irriga¬ 
tion, on the same soil with an ample supply of water, on light soil, 
above irrigation and on heavy soil, approaching “gumbo,” with and 
without artificial watering. Under all these conditions the grass 
has succeeded to the extent that a thick, heavy sod has been 
formed, producing an abundance of forage of rather coarse quality, 
but readily eaten by horses, sheep and cattle. It has never 
produced hay in sufficient amount to be considered valuable for 
that purpose, but sown with alfalfa it promises to be of value for 
horses. In quality it is believed to be equal to orchard grass, or 
possibly as good as timothy. It is, of course, inferior to Colorado 
blue stem or buffalo grass, but where successful it will make up in 
quantity what it lacks in quality in comparison with these two 
grasses. 
Brome grass produces a very heavy sod, which it is extremely 
difficult to plow when well set. The ground, to a depth of six or 
eight inches, will be completely filled with a mass of matted, fine 
roots, so that the sod will be turned over in solid slices, and 
remaining of so tough a texture that an excessive amount of 
