Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-07-30
GRASS.
Necessity for an Increase In tho Number
and Kinds Of Grnaara.

Necessity FOR an Increase In tho Number
and Kinds OF Grasses.
A noted French cook once said Of the
English; They have but one sauce-
melted buttern They have a large
variety of grasses, however, and do nc;
nowadays lack sauces. The moist, cool
climate Of England, temperate in win
ter, is emnently adapted to a large
range Of grasses, which the world has
been Travelled over to procure. Unfort-
unately our hot, dry summers are not
adapted TO many of the grasses which
we have received from England, and OF
them among the best are timothy and
orchard grass. Both Of these. If not
natives OF the United States, first at
racted attention in England after hav-
ing been successfully cultivated here.
They are probably both Indigenous with
Us. the first certainly being found wild
in New England. and also some varieties
IN the Rocky Mountains.
II Is with grass as with any other
species Of plants. Grasses must not
only be aeclimated before reaching
their best development but also must
be adapted TO the soil and situation.
Hence the farmer must not only know
something Of varieties as adapted 10 his
soil, but IN the Introduction of varieties
Jf new species each must experiment
Tor himself. The 7ribYRs has hitherto
taken occasion 10 call attention to the
subject Of grass, both in Sc eeding and in
The rotation. Grass Is really the foun.
lation Of all successful agriculture. not
only rs feeding crop, but also in its
quality Of ameliorating the soil. es.
pecially If clover is incl ided not a
grass, but none the less valuable rs a
forage, ana particularly 50 in relation
10 the improvement and amclioration Of
the soil.
The growing interest in grasses over
the whole country, and especially
in all the dryer portions Of tho
West and the South, where the want
n species having peculiar adaptation
10 heat and lack Of constant moisture
is more aud more felt. shows tho
nee eCessity of inquiring carefully into
the availability OF native species 70 sup
ply this want II among these may be
found grasses that will grow freely dur
ing our summer heat and drouths. while
II may not do away entirely with spe-
cial fodder crops to bridge over such p,-
riOds, nevertheless II NAV 90 far so to
do. II Is 10 be expected that many
failures may result in trials Of new spe-
cies, yet this shOnld not prevent careful
experiment. Tho great difficulty with
our native Western lprairie) grasses is
that many Of them do not seed freely
in their wild state. There Is. however,
an interesting field OF experiment open
here, which IL Is 10 he hoped the Com
missio ner Of Agriculture will bring for
ward at the convention of delegates
from the var Gus agricultural colleges
soon to meet at Washington. II seeds
could be distributed 10 these institutions
for trail and report always bearing in
mind the probable adaptation of spe-
eies to soil and olimaie-it need not
take long TO acquire much valuable in
formation in direction which the
farmer could not accomplish himself
without too large an outlay Of time to
make II profitable. These reports as 10
be I soil, general adaptation 10 climate,
ability to withstand drouth. succulcnGe,
yield, permanence and feeding value
may be cou.idered within the legiti-
mate province Of agricultural schools,
and certainly In no other one direction
could mOre valuable results be OBJ
tanned. and particularly with some OF
the more free seeding prairie, plains,
mountain and Southern perennial
species Some public institutions and
also individuals In widcy-separate re-
gions Of country are already doing
something in this line. Il could be
much more successfully accomplished
by agricultural colleges through con.
certed action, as indicated; and proba-
bly, no man in the country could indi-
cate sl'e lies for trial more intelligently
than DR.. Yasey. the botanist OF the de-
partment, himself Western man, and
one who has given special attention 10
the sub ect Of grasses.
As indicating directions for expert
ment. II is believed that the prairie re.
giOn to which the poas seem natural
and to which many are widely indig-
enous, as, for instance, fowl meadow
grass. North, aud Texas bluegrass in
the Southwest, with the large number
Of valuable species In the hills ahd val
leys OF tho Rocky Mountains, notably
the fescuo grasses aud other species
which 90 nnder tho general name Of
bupch grass. Among The genera which
rem - the writer as aforling good
field for sclesiion. including those OF
value In the South but not 20 tested In
cultivation, and having a wide range Of
habllati0n, OF their species. may be-
named: Agresiis, Alopecarus Andre
pogon, Ammaphila, AgropDrum. Bouto
Iona, Bromus, Deyenixia. Elymus, Fcs
tuca, keleria, Muhlcnbergia. Oryz0p-
ais, Penlcum. Paspalum. Phalaris, Poa.
Tnps4cum and Sporobolue These
genefa are mentioned slpaply irom the
fact that the most OF them have many
species. ekscg9o 7TitEs&