The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-06

earth for six feet. Dry weather never
kills ii, but only retards its growth, and
ii it continues sufficiently long the sun
burns the. end Of the leaves; when
| this is the case no amount
lof rain will make it grow
until 1t is eaten, burnt or moved off,
when it will start up as thrifty as IN
early spring. By judIcious care it Will
flourish for years. 1t possesses many
pecuiiarities. ManuriDg does not seem
to benefit it In the least, while top dress
ing tame grasses helps them materially
the first year. Another striking feature
! It has To remarkable degree is the Won
derfHl growth it will make under favora-
| bic circumstances. Where the Eikhorn
in Nebraska empties into the Platte,
| it forms delta Of several hundred
acres. The soil is of such a
nature that subirrigation is SO
complete that even the surface is
kept moist all of the time. Here this
grass attains growth of ten feet, but in
the depreSsions where water stands a
portion Of the year, though it be only at
depth OF an inch or two, not spear of
bluestem grows, but a rank growth OF
slough grass appears, frequently not more
than foot or two i'll width, but extend
ing for quite a long distance, although
usually the slough grass makes much
the larger growth; all of which only
proves the iiiimitable productiyeness of
this vast area when placed under proper
system of irrigation.
West of the 120th meridian blue stem
is seldom seen excepting near some
water course or in patches around some
spring or draw; west of this flourishes
the misquite grass. BouieIoua oligasta-
chya and the buffalo grass, Buchloe
dactyloides, in all their pristine beauty.
Prior to 1870 millions of buffaloes, count
less herds OF antelopes, deer and elk
wintered on the plains, foothills and
canyons of the Rocky mountains, sub
Sisting on these grasses and keeping fat
all winter.
inches high with two rows of; fiatten-
ed radhis well loaded with oily
seed. very fattening, with mass Of fine,
flat leaves at the base of each tutt. The
frost simply cures 1t in the ground and
ii retains all of it nutritious qualities all
winter. Butchers kill fat beeves from
this grass every month in the year.
In the Cos all of the freghting from
the Missouri river was done with OK and
mule teams to the mountains. The
long hauis reduced the teams to very
thin flesh during the freighting season.
When winter set in the stock was
turned out on the range and by
spring they usually were fat and sleek
The buffalo grass formerly covered the
undulating plains from the mountains
TO the Missouri river. 1t has a creeping
stem with rootlets covered thickly with
fine, short velvety leaves soft as moss.
Tie ponderous tread of the bison only
seemed to make it more thrifty and |
vigorous, and it followed them to their |
last slaughter on the plains of Colorado, |
Wyoming, Nevada, western Kansas and |
Nebraska, where it still survives, al |
though the last of these vast herds
of noble animals has passed away, |
as victims to maus wanton and !
savage cruelty. Cattle horses and sheep |
Craze on their old stamping ground. |
Mans cupidity has not even left bone |
to mark where they met annihilation to-
tell the tale of their former existence,
all being picked up to be carted away to
the nearest railroad, shipped and manu-
featured into fertilizer. These grasses !
thrive where it is too too dry for blue |
stem to grow, SO there is little danger of |
it running out soon, consequently they |
are destined to he much longer lived, !
but they are too short for hay, and in a |
few years prairie hay will be practically |
out of the market.