Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-20
GRASS TRIAL STATION
PROF. eOLLEY POINTS OUT 40
VANTAGE OF STATION At
DICKINSON.
GOVERNMENT WILL HELP IN Ex
PERiMENTs WITH GRASS
RAISING.

Importance Of Raising of New Forage
Plants to the Stock Industry Of the
West-Arguments in Favor OF the
Establishment Of Experimental Sub
stations.
Prof. H. l.. Bolley: During the
past few years the United States de-
partment of agriculture and the vari-
Gus experiment stations OF the coun
try have made great progress In the
effort to procure grasses and different
types of forage plants suited to the
different kinds of climatic and soil
conditions to be found in the various
parts of the country. Many new
species have been put under domesti-
cation and are found to be OF great
economic value, some for n place,
some for another. The farmers are
thus gradually reaching a status IN
which they do o have to depend
upon the growth of but one or two
sorts of cattle food producing plants.
In nature. plants have learned in the
long ages of struggle. t. find condi-
lions in which they can live and have
also learned how TO do well in such
places or. rather. only those now exist
which fit the conditions in which we
find them. Farmers IRE but now
learning that it pays To give these
native plants a chance. selecting those
for a particular farming region. which.
in nature, have demonstrated that
they can live under similar conditions.
Thus we have the different types of
the COW pea doing great things for the
southern state, alfalfa in the west. and
the bronze grass in the northwest.
Everyone recognizes that the real
problem of the semi-arid plains in
all of the states on the eastern slope
of the Rockies is to find out how to
produce more forage-tO have that
question settled means untold wealth
and happiness to millions of people.
While in Washington last fall, ! called
upon DR.. w. j. Spillman. of the di-
vision of agrostology. to ask him for
some aid for the study of the grass
problems in the western part OF this
state. | found him very enthusiastic
in the belief that valuable grasses and
forage plants can be found which are
suited to the conditions west of the
Missouri. He also stateI, if our sta
ton would, in some manner. put itself
in condition to run the Investigations
necessary in that region. that his di-
vision would be pleased to cooperate
Said he: "You must have a regular
substation for the work. and ! feel
III that good results of the most last
ing sort can soon be reached" |
assured him that some work should
be started at once looking toward the
finding of plants which can be grown
to keep up the pasture and forage
value of the cattle country of North
Dakota. His answer was: 1--WE viii
help you some in the way of seeds
at once" AS a result the college, yes
terday. received a consignment of ovel
seventy-ive kinds of native and for
eign grass seeds which have been col
lected from the wild grasses of re
gions of the world having conditions
of soil and climate similar to the cat
tie counties of North Dakota to BIZ
used in regular experiments. to tes'
their value. to ~rejuvenate the pasture
lands of the western range country
and to test as to their merits wher
grown for hay purposes.
Now for that substatiOn for grasses
etc. at Dickinson or some place equal
~ suited for the work. Very little cal
be accomplished without a permanent
place for such experiments, properl!
located as to climate and soil. TIL,
head of the division of grass and for
age plants has further assured me that
II Il experiment station succeeds il
making a good showing in the worl
of selecting and breeding the nativ,
grasses and forage plants the cooper
alton of his division with us in tn,
work will be continued and extended
for We are in a region Of the grea
plains of such character that the re
suits which we may be able to attain
will be OF very wide application. TIL
people OF the state cannOt afford Il
let this opportunity pass. every yea
now will tend to chow either an ir
crease or a decrease in the stock rails
ing %caDacity of the state. Let us max
sure that it shall show UP on the IN
crease column by learning to gro,
luxuriaDt crops of grass and forag
In every part of the state in spite q
the patent fact that the native so
and pasture and hay lands dependen
upon that sod seem surely doomed
1t can be nothing less than a cata.
trophy to allow the native grass land
OF the state to be destroyed throug
o~verpasturing and by the pillow. befor
we OF The state have learned wit
what forage to replace the loss.
In considering the bills for adm
the experiment station and establish
ing su%bstations. II Legislators shout
= keep In mind that it is useless to pas
the substation bills unless aid
Z given to the regular experiment st,
ton sufficient to allow the work I
go on at the substatiOns without bein
a drain upon the regular station worl
The work at the substations, in orde
that the state may not lose by us