Agropyron.—This genus is particularly characteristic of the northern Rocky Mountain States, where several species are valuable for forage. They are, as a rule, better relished by stock than the preceding, and some of them furnish hay of excellent quality. A. occidentale is the well-known blue-stem of the mountain regions and the western margin of the plains. It has strongly creeping rootstocks and is per haps the best hay grass among the wild species in the region where it grows. There is reason to believe that it will in time constitute an im portant crop on cultivated lands, particularly in the moister valleys of the northern portion of the arid region. A. divergens is the common bunch grass of eastern Washington and Oregon and northern Idaho. It is valuable on the ranges and furnishes very good hay where the rainfall is 20 inches or more. A. repens is the well-known quack grass of our Northern States. On account of its great development of rootstocks it is a very pernicious weed. Yet it furnishes fairly good forage and is recom mended by some for cultivation in the semi arid region. It also has some value as a sand binder. It may be eradicated by methods sim ilar to those described under Johnson grass. A. tenerum, the slender wheat-grass of the Northwestern prairies, is a good hay grass, seed of which may now be had on the markets.
Ammophia.•—A genus of one species, known as beach grass; in Australia and South Africa called "marram.* This is as yet the only spe cies of grass that has been used successfully in northern latitudes as a sand-binding grass on dunes near the coast. For this purpose it is in valuable. Extensive plantations of it have been made on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; also on dunes near the Great Lakes. It is prop agated by digging up bunches of the grass, sepa rating each one into several small bunches and then resetting them in the sand.
Arundinaria.— The cane of the Southern cane-brakes, a relative of the Oriental bamboos. It is much utilized as winter forage for cattle, which frequently winter in good condition in the brakes. There are two closely related spe cies, the larger one furnishing the common cane fishing rods.
Avena.—A. fatua, the wild oats of the spring-wheat producing States, is a weed in wheat fields. In several States the common hay is cut from patches in wheat fields taken by wild oats. If cut early enough the hay is of fair quality. Wild oats form an important constit uent of the forage on the ranges of portions of the State of California.
Bouteloua.— This is one of the most char acteristic genera of the arid regions of America, particularly in the Southwest. Side oats grama (B. curtipendula) is a handsome and valuable grass on the plains, where it furnishes much val uable feed. Blue grama (B. oliqostachya) is
the buffalo grass of the plains of eastern Mon tana, and is also a valuable forage plant.
Bulbilis.— Buffalo grass (B. dactyloides) is probably the most valuable wild grass of the plains region, extending from the Dakotas and Montana to southern Texas and New Mexico. It is one of the most nutritious grasses, rivaling Kentucky bluegrass in this respect, hut is less productive than the latter. In Texas and else where there were formerly vast areas of buffalo grass forming a compact sod; but owing to overstocking and the depredations of prairie dogs, the grass is now much less in evidence. It is not well adapted to use on cultivated land because of its poor seed habits.
Calamagrostis.—An important genus along the northern border of the United States. Blue joint (C. conaden.sis) is an important constit uent of swamp hay of which a large acreage is I cut in Minnesota, Iowa and adjacent States.
Cenchrus.— Two species of Cenchrus are found in sandy soils in the South and West. They are noted for the hard spiny "burs* in which the seed are found. They are known as "sand burs,* and are pernicious weeds in sandy soils.
Setaria (Chatochloa).—The foxtail grasses. Two species, the yellow foxtail and green fox tail, are useless weeds which spring up in wheat fields after harvest.
Distichlis.— Salt grass (D. spicata) is com mon in salt water marshes on the coasts and on alkali soils in the arid regions. It has some value as a forage plant.
Elymus.— This is a large and important genus. Several representatives are widely dis tributed and some possess considerable value as forage plants. E. condensatus (giant rye-grass) is a very characteristic grass in lowlands in the arid regions, where it grows in large clumps, at taining a height of six or seven feet. While not greatly relished by stock, it frequently suf fices to sustain life during periods when other grasses are covered by snow. It has been sown on cultivated land in some irrigated lands of the West, particularly where alkali has begun to appear, and it furnishes large crops of hay. This hay is rather too laxative for horses, but is said to make good feed for cattle. E. triti coides (wild wheat) is found ingreat abun dance on wet meadows in eastern Oregon and adjacent regions, where it is frequently cut for hay. The forage is said to be excellent. E. canadensis is a very variable species, common throughout the Central and Northern States. Some forms of it are characterized by strongly developed rootstocks and thrive in the sandiest soils. It probably has considerable value for holding embankments in places where the soil is sandy. It is also a good forage grass and is worth more attention than it has yet received for this purpose in the semi-arid region.