Thorough Tillage System for Plains of Colorado. 17 
ern Kansas that thoroughly discing the old alfalfa field usually in¬ 
creases the yield of hay, while it also prevents the deposit of grass¬ 
hopper eggs in the field.” 
Mr. H. T. Miller on a ranch near Fort Collins, has some ten 
acres of alfalfa above the ditch that has been seeded down twenty- 
. eight years. He cuts two crops, and favorable years, like 1904 and 
1905, he cuts three crops each year. This is located on the lower 
level and some years receives considerable moisture, which runs off 
from the higher ground surrounding the field. 
Many of these “favorable locations,” can be successfully found 
in many parts of eastern and western Colorado, where irrigation 
can not be practiced. 
5. Bronte Grass. There are several varieties of this grass but 
the one that has been the most widely tested in Colorado is Bromus 
inermis. This was first tested on the experimental grounds of the 
California station, being imported by Prof. Hilgard from Europe 
and offered for distribution to California farmers in 1884. This 
grass has proven to be one of our best drouth resistant grasses in 
Colorado. If requires a good seed bed and a reasonable amount 
of moisture for germination and early growth. It is one of the 
first grasses to appear in the spring and the last grass to die down 
in the fall. 
6. Meadow Fescue. This is a grass resembling our blue grass 
in habit of growth, but carries a heavier sward. It is English blue 
grass and where seed can be obtained from non-irrigated land has 
made a reasonably good growth in western Kansas and Nebraska. 
It is of slow growth the first season, has a metallic green lustre and 
is better adapted for a pasture than a meadow grass. 
7. Field Peas. This crop under ditch and sub-irrigation has 
made an excellent growth in many parts of our state. But few 
tests have been made on non-irrigated lands. These indicate that 
field peas can not be counted as a sure crop every season, but very 
often seeding early in the spring, peas will mature sufficiently for 
a good hay crop. Peas for hay can be cut with a mower, and well 
cured hay makes good feed for cattle and sheep. It is not advisable 
to feed this hay to horses. 
>111. ROOT CROPS. 
Potatoes, sugar beets and rutabagas have been grown on non- 
irrigated lands in a few sections of the state. Root crops need 
considerable moisture and it will require experiments for several 
seasons to determine to what extent these crops can be grown on 
semi-arid lands in the various sections of our state. 
