TALL OAT GRASS. 213 



soil, therefore, this grass ought not to he sown where 

 a hard pan suhsoil comes up near the surface of the 

 ground. The favorite soils for tall oat grass are those 

 that are sandy in texture and yet possessed of enough of 

 loam to furnish food for free growth in the plants, and 

 that are moreover underlaid with a porous subsoil, pref- 

 erably clay. It will grow well in the alluvial soils 

 of river bottoms when sandy in character and not sur- 

 charged with moisture. But it will also grow reason- 

 ably well on light sandy soils though underlaid with 

 sand or gravel, unless where the conditions are extreme- 

 ly dry. It will even grow reasonably well on gravelly 

 soils under similar conditions. Its adaptation for the 

 soils of the Kocky mountain areas is relatively high as 

 it is also for much of the light soil found in the South. 

 On the vegetable soils of much of the prairie it also 

 behaves well, as shown by experience in growing it in 

 Iowa and Kansas, more especially when these are not 

 so light as to lift with the wind. Stiff clays are not well 

 adapted to the production of this grass, and on slough 

 soils several of the cultivated grasses will grow much 

 better. Where these are undrained it would not be wise 

 to try to grow it on them. Xor does it grow well on soils 

 otherwise favorable to its development when unduly sat- 

 urated with water during any considerable portion of 

 the year. 



Pkice in the Botaiion. — Since tall oat grass makes a 

 strong gro^^-th the first season that it is sown, and since 

 it has also considerable power to maintain its hold upon 

 the soil, it is adapted to both short and long rota- 

 tions. It may be sown to provide hay or pasture for 



