Evening star., 1901-10-07
THE STUDY oOF, nGRAssEs.
Interesting Investigations Of q Gov
ernmenfo Bureau.


ernmenfo Bureau.
A report on the field work Of the division
of agrostoiogy Of the Department OF Agri-
culture has just been issued. This report
is comprehensive statement of the work
done in the field by the division since its
organization several years ago, together
with a summary of the results accomplish
ed in the way Of new discoveries and the
development Of useful species Of grasses
and forage plants.
OF the unoccupied public lands about
365 400 600 acres are regarded at present as
fit only for grazing purposes. There are,
in addition, 124. 800. 900 acres of forest land,
the greater portion of which Is also used
for grazing.
At the beginning Of the investigations by
the division exact knowledge of the grasses
and forage plants of the greater part Of
the range lands west OF the Mississippi
river was very limited
The extensive areas OF shifting sands
along the Atlantic coast have for many
years attracted attention and led to efforts
to devise some means of holding them. Be-
sides the interference with navigation fire.
quently caused by the shifting Of these
sands there Is a continual destruction of
the agricultural lands bordering the coast
by the gradual encroachment Of the drift
ing sand. Investigations along this line
have been made on the coast near Prov
incetown, Mass, on Cape Cod, where there
are extensive areas of shifting sands, and
experiments in growing and transplantlng
sand-binding grasses have been carried on.
The beach grass which is native along the
Atlantic coast has been very useful in pre-
venting the drifting Of sand and has been
tranSplanted over quite extensive areas on
Cape Cod under the authority of the state
of Massachusetts. Investigation of the Ia
tive sand-binding grasses has also been
made at various other points along the At
lantic coast, and it has been found that
there are number Of very valuable
grasses which act as sand binders. Besides
the beach grass, which Is not Indigenous
south of Virginia, there Is the sand rye
grass. occurring from Massachusetts, north
ward; the bitter panic, extending from Con-
necticut south along the Atlantic and gulf
coast, and sea oats another important sand
binder, occurring from Virginia southwark
and along the gulf coast. Experiments
have demonstrated that these grasses can
be readily transplanted and very success
fully used In preventing the drifting of
sands.
The great plains region, as limited for
the purposes of the present discussion, ex-
tends from North Dakota south to, Indian
territory and west to the foot hills Of east
ern Colorado, Wyoming and : Montana.
Though the area under consideration in
cludes many million acres yet the grasses
and forage plants and climatic conditions
are very similar throughout. The annual
precipitation decreases over the whole re-
gion as cne goes from! the eastern border
to the western. Experience has shown
that beyond the ninety-eighth meridian
profitable crops of cereals are not pro-
duced oftener than otTe TO three times In
five years, SO that faeni1ng without some
means Of irrigation cannot be made a
financial success. - "fsW
Those who possessed sufficient acumen
to appreciate these faotsIturned their at
tention at once to stock raising; but under
the impression, appafBntfg that the forage
resources of the coufstry 1Were inexhaustf-
BILE, the pastures were overstocked and soon
their carrying capacity was greatly lessen
ed. 1t was in response to pressing demands
for information along these various lines
that the division of agrostology began to
undertake a thorough Investigation of the
problems. iegaa
The field work included investigations
which have been carried ON in thirty-two
states and territories Asia result Of the
knowledge gained tho division Is able to
recommend to farmers anH stockmen in the
various parts of thef colfntry the forage
crops adapted to theft conditions and spe-
cial requirements and also to carry on In
telligently experiments with Introduced
forage plants likely to prove valuable In
any particular region.
There are growing within the bounds of
the United States over one thousand spe-
cies OF grasses, and perhaps one hundred or
more other plants Of sufacient forage value
to justify their Investigation and culti-
walton. Experiments have already shown
that many OF these most valuable grasses
take Kindly to cultivation and produce
much larger quantities OF hay and pasture
when little attention II given them.
o-
GiggSby (af tha cl,,hA-NllvniuafA fro,v.