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Bermuda Grass ( Cynodon dactylon^ Pers). — This is purely 

 a Southern grass in its habits and adaptability. It is, how- 

 ever, an introduced species, and does not mature its seeds 

 except in the extreme South. It thrives best in the sun, and 

 in a rich soil will grow rapidly, resulting in a beautiful, green 

 sward. The growth is by underground stems, and after 

 once obtaining hold in the land it will require but little care 

 and attention, except the occasional fertilizing to keep the 

 soil in a healthy condition for growth, and the regular sprink- 

 ling when the dryness of the atmosphere demands the appli- 

 cation of water. 



Bermuda grass is propagated by cutting into short pieces 

 the underground stems and sowing them over the well- 

 prepared soil and harrowing in ; or by breaking up the turfs 

 into small bunches and dropping them into holes made by 

 means of a hoe, and covering them with earth. Where there 

 is a large supply of the grass available, sodding may be 

 resorted to, and this will insure a completed lawn in a much 

 shorter period of time than secured by either one of the 

 other methods. After the grass has been growing for some 

 time, and weeds and other foreign, undesirable plants begin 

 to show themselves, hand weeding must be resorted to. This 

 will be quite laborious at first, but the beautiful and regular 

 lawn resulting will more than repay the time and attention 

 expended in eradicating the weeds. 



St. Lucik Grass.— This is a variety of the Bermuda, and 

 is very popular in many portions of Florida. A small plot 

 has been cultivated for two years in the botanic garden of 

 the Alabama Experiment Station, and it is proving to be an 

 excellent grass for this latitude. It is not so tenacious in its 

 hold on the soil as is the case with the Bermuda, and it can 

 therefore be more easily eradicated if it is desirable to use 

 the land for other crops. The blades are of a lighter tint of 

 green, but in other respects it closely resembles Bermuda. 



Carpet Grass {Paspalum compressum, (Sw.) Nees). — A 

 creeping plant which throws up a slender flower branch and 

 delights in a moist soil. As its name indicates, it covers the 

 ground like a green carpet, and is exceptionally uniform in 

 the sward it produces. It is a fine grass for low lands, and 

 will even produce good results in rich uplands where moisture 

 is not so abundant. It is growing successfully in a sandy 

 soil on the grounds of the botanic garden, where other grasses 

 have failed to yield good results. This grass is particularly 

 well adapted to nearly all sections of South Alabama, and 



