. Bulletin. Gramineae -- United States; Forage plants -- United States. 52 coarse and woody, or otherwise unpalatable, to be of much value; and still others, while affording nutritious forage, are of most value for hay, and have been considered in the preceding pages of this report under the discussion of the native meadow-grasses. The principal i^asture grasses of the dry plains region are the gramas {Bovtelono spp.), buffalo-grass {BulhiUs dacti/loides), wheat grasses, already discussed under meadow-grasses, prairie June-grass [Koeleria cristata), and needle-grasses {8ti2)a spp.). Other gras
. Bulletin. Gramineae -- United States; Forage plants -- United States. 52 coarse and woody, or otherwise unpalatable, to be of much value; and still others, while affording nutritious forage, are of most value for hay, and have been considered in the preceding pages of this report under the discussion of the native meadow-grasses. The principal i^asture grasses of the dry plains region are the gramas {Bovtelono spp.), buffalo-grass {BulhiUs dacti/loides), wheat grasses, already discussed under meadow-grasses, prairie June-grass [Koeleria cristata), and needle-grasses {8ti2)a spp.). Other grasses of considerable value for graz- ing, but of more or less local distribution, are Indian millet {Eriocoma cnspklata), rush- grasses {Sporobolus spp.), Montana sand-grass (Ca/awta- grostis moutancnsis), salt- grass {Di-siicJiUs siylcata), and several of the bunch-grasses and wild ryes already men- tioned. There are three gramas found in this region, and all are valuable pasture grasses. The best, and by far the most abundant, is blue grama {B o ntelo u a oligosf<(clii/a). (See tig. 17.) It is one of the most generally distributed grasses of tlie prairies, and also occurs in considerable (quantities on the higher bench lands and mesas, in the foothills, and in dry soil here and there in the lower mountain valleys. Every- where it is regarded as an exceedingly valuable grass for both summer and winter pasturage, but i)arti('nlai'ly for the latter, vying with buffalo-grass for lirst place. At the ])resent time it is probably of greater actual vahie on account of its more general occurrence, greater yield of forage, and greater ability to hold possession of the soil under excessive pastnringand extremedrought. In therather loose, sandy soil, so common to the prairies of this regicm, blue grama forms closely sodded areasofvarying extent which, on accountofthe ])ur- plish color of the foliage, stand out in strong contrast to the prevailing. Fig. 37.—Bine grama {Boutelona oligo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectforageplantsunitedst
