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in most localities should bo treated as an annual, as it is soon crowded out by other 

 grasses on land which has not recently been plowed. It seeds freely, and yields vol- 

 unteer crops as far north as the District of Columbia. When sown on suitable soil 

 in August or September it begins its growth with the first autumn rains, and in a 

 favorable season will give good grazing in December, while in a dry ajd unfavor- 

 able season it may be worth but little before February or March. When at its best 

 it will often give two good cuttings for hay. Should it be desired to grow it con- 

 tinuously on the same held, the land ought to be plowed after the seed has matured, 

 and during the summer it may be used to grow a crop of cowpcas or of crab-grass, 

 which should be cut in September to permit the rescue grass to secure an early 

 growth. Seed should be sown in August or September at the rate of from 30 to 40 

 pounds per acre. 



Rough Bent (Agrofitin xcahra). — ^An annual with slender, smooth, clustered stems 

 and open panicles, 1 to 2 feet long, with widely spreading, capillary branches. 

 Found everywhere, but more common on rather dry and hard clay soil. It makes 

 its growth early in the spring, and so adds some forage to the early pastures, but it 

 is not eaten after it comes into bloom in May, and soon disappears. 



Rye-grasses {LoHiim itaUcion and L. perennc). — Short-lived perennials; stems 

 clustered, often decumbent at the base, becoming erect, 2 to 3 feet tall; leaves very 

 numerous, dark green, rich and tender, 4 to 8 inches long; spikes long and slender, 

 often drooping. 



These are among the oldest cultivated grasses, and are probably grown more 

 widely than any others iu Europe. They have been used largely in the Northern 

 States, where they are often satisfactory, but in the South they have not done well 

 except in a few especially favorable locations. They succeed best on a rich, moist, 

 sandy soil containing a fair amount of lime, and on such vSoils are fairly permanent, 

 but on dry, thin soils and heavy clays they soon disappear. They will cover the 

 ground sooner and make a better sward in a few weeks after planting than will most 

 other grasses, and so are valuable where quick results are wanted and for covering 

 the ground while other and more permanent sorts like redtop or orchard grass are 

 becoming established. When sown alone on rich soils their growth is so rank that 

 the ground is soon covered ^jith a dense mat of long leaves, which make the best of 

 grazing or hay, but if allowed to become too dense will die and decay after heavy 

 rains. While excellent for mixing with other grassi^s for both pastures and meadows, 

 they can not be recommended for sowing alone. The more common varieties are the 

 Italian, Pacey's, and the perennial rye-grasses. The perennial or English rye-grass 

 is the longer lived and so the best for permanent pastures. The Italian rye-grass 

 makes a ranker growth and covers the ground more qnicklj". Seed may be sown in 

 either fall or spring, and from 2 to 3 bushels per acre are required when sown alone 

 or 1 bushel when sown with other grasses. 



Salt-grass (Z>ts<ic/i?(s spicata). — Perennial, from long, creeping rootstocks; stems 

 slender, erect, wiry, branching; leaves short, smooth; spikes of two forms, stami- 

 nate and pistillate, the first rather slender, while the latter are shorter and thicker. 



Growing on salt marshes everywhere, and of little value except as a sand or soil 

 binder. When not too old and tough it is eaten by horses and mules, where other 

 grasses are not to be had, but it makes poor grazing and is worthless for hay. 



Side-oats Grama (Bouteloiia cnrtipendula) (fig. 10). — Perennial; stems single or 

 few together, simple, erect, 2 to 3 feet tall ; leaves 6 to 12 inches long, rough ; spikes 

 forming a long raceme and usually refiexed, about half an inch long, purple. 



This is the southeastern representative of the large group of grama or mesquite 

 grasses which are so numerous in the pastures of the Southwest. Like them, it 

 grows on dry soil, is rarely injured by drought, and is so deeply rooted that it is not 

 injured by grazing. It is found from Mississippi to Georgia, though rarely abundant, 

 and its growth should be encouraged. The seeds are easily gathered and grow 

 readily on lawns already set with other grasses. There is another BouteJona found 

 in Florida, but neither species is so abundant as to be of much importance. 



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