The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-03-28
Slender Wheat Grass (Asrepyron Ten.rum).

(By L. R. wAI.DRON. Superintendent
Satisfaction. Dickinson. N. d.
Slender wheat grass Is often wrong.
ly called western rye grass. 1t Is not
a rye grass at all but is related to
Quack grass, western wheat grass and
to the other wheat grass. 1t differs
from the two named, in that 1t lacks
running root stocks. In short. 1T is a
bunch grass and not a turf grass. It
is a native Of the plains and prairies
OF North Dakota and so little need be
said regarding it, ability to resist our
cold winters and hot summers. It ID
also drouth resistant. Strangely
enough. this 10 something that cannot
be said Of many Of our native grasses,
looking at them from the farmers
standpoint. A grass may be able to
tide over dry weather by going to
sleep, as some Of our do, but a grass
is desired that will persist in grow
ing during dry weather.
One of the objections il raised
against slender wheat grass as Is
lulSCO u6oluSt OIVA1C 6A0o0 ~ AonOo
a poor quality of hay. The same reply
can be made in this case as with
bronze grass. The hay Is woody,
stemmy and unpalatable, only when
1t stands too long before cutting. The
slender wheat grass deteriorates even
more rapidly than bronze grass upon
reaching a certain stage.
However. if cut early enough. when
the head is only we'll out Of the
sheath. and while the foliage is still
juicy and abundant. it makes very
good hay. quite comparable to timothy
in palatability and richness, eve sur
passing timothy in the latter regard.
When given reasonable cultural con-
ditions. one will find slender wheat
grass utilizing the water that Is avail
able. In short it is drouth resistant.
as the farmer wants it to be, and it
has not the bad habit of the bronze
grass Of becoming "sod-bound." Il
will, however. respond somewhat to
treatment by discing and more parti-
cularly to applications Of barnyard
manure.
Slender wheat grass differs from
bronze grass in the ease with which It
may be killed by blowing. As indi-
Gated it does not possesA the long
root-stocks which make Quack grass
such, q pest and bronze grass some
.imes q nuisance.
Another advantage Of slender wheat
grass Is the character Of the seed.
This seed character is at the same
time a disadvantage al will be shown
The seed Of slender wheat
grass Ia heavy enough so that it can
be handled much like ordinary seed.
For instance slender wheat grass can
be asown in almost my drill. like
wheat. which is Of great advantage.
II one wishes to sow with a nurse
crop. it can be cross-drilled in the
grain, after the grain is sown, at the
rate. Of Is to 20 pounds per acre. One
can be more sure of getting q stand II
the grass Is sown without a nurse
crop and this method is recommended
for the drier areas Of the state.
Slender wheat grass Is adapted to a
wide range of soils. though one can
expect 1t to do as well upon sandy
land as upon richer. heavier land.
Also the plant is tolerant Of consider.
able alkali.. much more so than tim
.othy. and probably more SO than
slender wheat grass Is Is easily
cured as timothy, and when cured, 1t
makes . cle~An-looking. attractive hay.
provided, Of course. that it II cut in
due season-which II = matter ct
much importance.
Slender wheat grass produces seed
III comparative abundance, the Yields
often running from, 500 to 400 pounds
per acre, the cleaned seed weighing
from twenty to twenty-five pounds, per
busAsl. When harvsstsd for reed, the
.grass 81 .hAnAtsd readily: being ont ~
.tae binder, ana thr4shed In tie ordi-
Aary' 5tDafatss. n ~ thfsehsd5 sSed
10 'AatilE: cleans1 n The tanning mill.
The $500 .at DgsnsaEk more ex6sneiye
9pp1s eeGd;.- bpeAnGe the
grsaG IL l6s1 0onIonlyT 3r1Ma.s
IT, sssd Of quack grass = much
~ 1890 siss . the Besd e heoae
- S6ao1sf whsat, - 4 bayiAg go