Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1890-09-25
GETTING UNDERWAY.

The North Dakota Experiment Sta
'tion's First Re;,ort---H;uch ExpccS-
ed From the Work Begun.
Hon. S. T.. Satterthwaitlle, director of
the North Dakota agricultural station,
has submltted report aof the work &C
complisked since organization, May 20,
of this year. The report says that while
the date was rather late forexperimental
planting, considerable progress has been
made and much is expected from results
yet to be determined. Experiments are
being conducted in carefully seeded
wheat, corn, German n1illet, ten varieties
of grass for hay or pasture, and sugar
beets.
A special experiment. with wheat is be-
ing conducted, consisting of three weE
markedvs1ietiesi Imported from Manitoba,
near Winnipeg-the Defance-Red Fyfe
and beaded Rio Grande. The result Of
this experiment will he made known in
the bulletin to be published later.
Early in July the services of bota-
mist. Prof. C. B. Waldcon, late of the
agricultural college Of Michigan, were
secured. Prof. Waldren has been en-
gagged in gathering and classifying the
grasses of the state. Tho progress Of
his work may be learned from ,his sub
joined report:
The work in Ihe botanical department
of the experiment station Of North Da-
kota was begun July 17tk, 1890. The sea-
son being too far advanced to conduct
any experiments all the time has been
devoted to collecting and classifying the
local flora. In this work special atten-
tion has been given to native grasses and
ito weeds likely to prove luxurious. OF
the former some forty species have been
collected, two or three of which lave
never been catalogued. Many either
species have been recognized, but as
they were SO far past their prime as to
be yalueless for her banium specimens,
no collection has been made q: them.
The intention Is also to collect grasses
in such quantity that & chemical analysis
may be made Of them during the winter.
It would not bs profitable to do this ex-
cept with the native grasses that have
promise of an agricultural value. Out
side of the grasses about one hundred
and fifty species have been collected.
The mustard family is represented by Il
number Of species, among which are four
or five troublesome pests, absorption of
which will be given at later date
The composite family is well repre-
sented by golden rods, sunfowers, rag
weeds and thistles, all of which have nox-
ious properties to a greater or less ex-
tent.
The other species that have been col
lected are scattered through many fami-
lies among which are the mint. parsley,
buckwheat, milkweed, pulse, sedge, plan
tain, tigwort, and honeysuclsle. Some at
tention has been gwen the rust and smut
of grain Of which but little has been
found.
During the week ending Aug. Goth. a
collecting tour was made in the vicinity
of Devils Lake and in the Turtle Noun
tain region. The fora at Devils Lake
presents but few characteristics different
from that found in the Red River valley.
The artemisias, or sage brush, are more
numerous both as regards the number OF
species and of individuals. With most
Of the other genera the reverse is true
while the dwarfing of all vegetation is