The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-13

such kinds as shall be entirely adapted to their
pecuiiarities of climate and soil This is par
ticularly the case in the Southern AMI South.
western States the arid districts OF the West
and ia California
OF the grasses of the great plains the work
quoted says "The plains lying west of the
l00tn meridian, together with much broken and
mountainous interior country, nearly treeIess
and arid, in New Mexico, Western Texas, and
Arizona are nearly useless for the purposes of
ordinary agriculture, but are beeomngi more
and more i'm portant as the great feeding ground
for the multitudes of cattle which supply the
wants of the settled regions of our country,
as we'll as the constantly Increasing foreign de
mand. The pasturage of this region consists es-
sentaly of native grasses, some OF which have
acquired wide reputation for their rich nutri-
tious properties, for their ability to Withstand
the dry seasons and for the quality of
self drying on curing, so rs to be
available for pasturage in the winter This
quality is due probably to the nature OF
the grasses themselves and to the effect OF the
arid climate. II is well known that IN Tno1st
countries at lower attitudes the grasses have
much saccuenee; they grow rapidly, and their
tissues are soft; a severe frost cheeks or kills
their growth, and chemical changes immediately
occur which result in rapid decay; whereas In
the arid climate of the plains the grasses have
much less s1eculence, the foliage being more rigid
and dry, and therefore, when their growth Is
arrested by frost the tissues are not engorged
with water, the desiceating influence OF the eli
the ground in good condition for winter forage.
General Benjamin Alvord, of the United States
army, has recently published an article on the
subject of these wlnter-cured grasses,
and states that they only acquire this
property on land which is three thousand feet
above the level of the sea. The region having
such an altitude includes he says, all, nearly up
to the timber line, of Montana, idaho, Wyoming,
Utah, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico five
sixths of Arizona, one-half of Dakota, onefourth
of Texas. one fifth of Kansas and onesixth each
OF California, Oregon and Washington Terri
tory, embracing about one-fourth of the area of
the whole United States.
MANY of the grasses of this extensive region
are popularity known bunch grass from
their habit of growth; others are known as
mesquite and 'gramma grass These consist of
many species of different genera, some of them
more or less local and sparingy distributed,
others having wide range frota Mexico to
British America
t'The most i'm portant Of the bunch grasses
may be briefly mentioned as follows: OF the
genus Stipa there are several Species Stfpa
eomata and Stipa setigera occur abundantfy in
New Mexico, Texas. Arizona and California,
reaching to Oregon In Colorado, Kansas, and
all the prairie region northward, stretching into
British America Stipa juncea is the principal
one of the genus. On the higher plateaus and
near the mountains the Stlpa vlvldula IS very
common, extending from Arizona to Oregon and
British America Somewhat related botani-
eally is Eroeama euspidata a very rigid bunch
grass, with fine, handsome panicle of flowers.
It is equally widespread with the preceding An
other widely diffused grass is Aipa coespitosa,
varying much in size and thriftiness according
to the altitude and amount of moisture where
1T grows, bat always having a light, elegant
spreading panicle of silvery gray flowers"
DR.. George Massey author of the report men
toned, which has just been issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture says that within the
limits of the United States there are about 600
species of grasses, mostly native. few natu-
rallied from other countries. Many of theSe
species are either too small too coarse, too
sparse, OF in some other way wanting in the
character needed for a good agricultural grass.
But it is certain that among this great number
there are some which will be found suitable for
cultivation, at least in special districts. In tho
report from which the above extracts were taken
are 120 full page engravings, showing that mum
Der of grasses.