13 



winter in tlie woodlands. Continued grazing destroys many of the 

 wire grasses, which are largely replaced by water-grasses, mutton-cane, 

 Japan clover or lespedeza, and Bermuda. 



Immediately along the coast and on the adjacent islands there are a 

 number of conspicuously abundant species, though limited in range to 

 the immediate vicinity of the water. Among these are bitter panic 

 {Panicum amarum) and creeping panic (P. repens), seaside finger-grass 

 {Chloris petrcea), St. Augustine grass {Stenotaplirum dimidiatum), salt 

 grass {Bistichlis spicata), and creek-sedge {Spartina stricta maritima). 

 In the salt marshes wild-rice millet {Zizaniopsis miliacea), Munro grass, 

 and switch-grass are abundant, while giant millet {Chtvtochloa magna) 

 and barnyard-grass often make immense growths. Among other native 

 forage plants abundant in this region are low killinga {KiUhujapumila), 

 which often covers considerable areas and is the most valuable of the 

 sedges for summer grazing, wild bean ( Vigna glabra), with its pea-like 

 growth, and Florida beggar- weed {Desmodium tortuosum) on the more 

 sandy soils. When the field is grazed so closely as to weaken the ^ 

 growth of the sedge-grasses and wire grasses, carpet- grass takes pos- 

 session of the Southern pasture. 



As a whole, the native pastures of the Gulf States contain a much 

 larger number of species than do those of the North, and so furnish 

 excellent grazing while they last, but many of them soon become so 

 weakened by constant grazing and trampling that they finally give 

 place to worthless weeds or leave the ground bare, to be washed and 

 -gullied by the winter rains. 



THE FORMATION OF PASTURES. 



With a climate favorable to an almost continuous growth, and with 

 soil easily worked and promptly responding to good management, it is 

 not difficult to secure permanent pastures of the highest quality; but 

 in order to obtain the best returns, the same intelligent care must be 

 used in their preparation and management as are given other portions 

 of the farm. 



The best pastures are those which contain the greatest variety of 

 plants yielding palatable food for stock. These plants should be such 

 as make their greatest growth at different seasons, in order that there 

 may be a continuous supply; a portion of them should be legumes, both 

 for their superior fattening qualities and for their effect on the soil, and 

 as large a proportion as possible should be perennials. Such a pasture 

 can not be made in one season, but requires time for its best develop- 

 ment, and when once secured its value and feeding capacity will increase 

 yearly under good management. 



Excellent pastures are sometimes made from the natural sod, but in 

 most cases it is more satisfactory, and in the end less expensive, first 

 to plow the ground and use it two or three years for corn or cotton, 

 which will kill the wild broom-sedges and wire-grasses and change the 



