Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-06-26
OUR FORAGE GRASSES
VALUABLE FACTS REGARDING
VARIETIES AND CULTURE.

SOu fVuSl OC fAuoptCu W wv 0'O"u W wv
uct-Plants Will in Time Adapt Themselves
to Some Extent to Changed Conditions
That Persistent and Intelligent Effort Will
Ensure Success, Is the Opinion Of the
President Of the Agricultural College.
Professor Elliott, of the State Agri-
cultural college, has given out the fol-
lowing interesting statement:
The Washington Agricultural col
lege and Experiment station receives
many inquiries for information from
its constituents. As a matter OF course
these cover q wide range of subjects,
but if they were to be classified it
would be found that a large per cent. OF
them relate in some way to the prac-
tical question of the growing of grasses
and forage plants for the central and
eastern part of the State. These quer-
les comes to US in many forms; some
times it is call for informati on as to
the best method Of treating a marshy
meadow, or reseeding rocky range;
occasionally new settler wishes to
know what plan would secure profit
able growth amid the stumps Of his
logged off tract, but oftenest the re-
quests are for help to grow permanent
pastures or meadows and thus place
their live stock interests on a more
enduring foundation. For the past
two years a great deal of interest has
been shown in this subject. Without
doubt very large amount OF seed has
been sown and various trials and tests
have been undertaken. Many of these
have proved successful and the area
now devoted to permanent cultivated
grasses is without doubt larger than
ever before. On the other hand it
must be admitted that there have
been serious failures and there are
those who would doubt the prObabil-
tiles of even succeeding in solving this
great problem Of the culture OF the
grasses and forage plants.
Washington is passing through the
same experience that has been the lot
OF every new State. There has always
been . struggle to bring back new
land to cultivated grazing plants.
The soil, robbed of its native covering
of prairie grasses, seems to protest
against accepting at once the shelter
of new and imported plants. In addi.
tion to this, there is always ignorance
a. to the adaptability OF the more
common cultivated grasses and forage
plants, and the best methods for treat
ment and culture can only be deter
mined by trial. Without doubt,
Washington today makes as good
showing as any prairie State has done
in q similar period Of its history. /
feel safe in saying that there is as
much clover and blue grass in our
State to-day ss could be found in Iowa
20 years after its settlement, while the
area devoted to timothy is vastly
greater. With our limited rainfall
some would contend that we can not
hope to equal such States in the pro-
duction of grasses, yet such views are
not we'll founded. We must remem.
Der that at least two adjustments in
the conditions must take place.
First, there must be a certain tam.
ing of the soil, and changes must be
brought about to make it suitable for
the growth of many plants. This is
particularly true in the case of the
legumes, clovers, alfalfa and the like,
which must have the development in
the soil OF bacteria suited to each par
ticular plant. Some of the clovers de.
velop their bacteria quite readily and
thrive exceedingly we'll on that &C.
count. This is particularly true OF
alsike and the common white clover.
Red clover, however, is slower to take
, hold, and for year or two often pre-
sents a sickly appearance. When,
however, the soil once becomes innoc.
ulated with the red clover bacteria it
grows most luxuriantly, and will COM
pare favorably with crops grown under
more moist conditions.
In the second place most of our cul.
tivated plants find that they must
change their character and habits
more or less to suit the new environ.
ment in which they are undertaking
to grow. This takes time and plants
do not change quickly nor easily.
Grasses OF the same name, but found
growing in diverse localities often
show decided differences in character
and habits Of growth. This has been
observed In more than one instance
with plants growing on the college ex.
pertinent station. Blue grass seed
samples secured from different sources
show at first an unlike appearance,
which gradually disappears and type
is evolved which might be called ne.
culiar to this region. In order IN ,o..
this fact with red clover the station is
now growing of plots sown to seed AZ.
cured from different parts of the Unit.
ed States. The difference in the plants.
and particularly the habit of growth is
readily seen, and it is not unvise ~
say that in due time these different
seedlings will take on a more general
character, although in the effort some