THE GRASS QUESTION. 109 



for it is dependent on otlier sections for an agricultural 

 staple which it should itself produce. 



In locations where such protracted drouth prevails 

 as to burn up the present standard perennial grass, there 

 are badly needed other varieties of grasses which will 

 resist drouth, and, remaining green under hot sun, con- 

 tinue to furnish a nutritious bite when others have suc- 

 cumbed. Bermuda grass, a perennial from the West 

 Indies, to some extent fills the requirements, but it has 

 the objectionable characteristic of sometimes making 

 itself a nuisance by its persistence. 



While the test of years and the experience of nations 

 point to certain perennial varieties of grass as standards 

 on ordinary farming soils, it sometimes occurs that wild 

 or native sorts have high merit in their respective local- 

 ity. For instance, many of the so-called wild annual 

 grasses of the Southern States, so frequently looked upon 

 by the planter as nuisances, especially those that strive 

 to take possession of cultivated fields during conditions 

 of summer heat, almost deadly to standard varieties of 

 grass and other farm crops, are, many of them, even 

 though some be annual sorts, just the types to carry 

 coarse-wooled sheep through such trying seasons, condi- 

 tions more serious to contemplate than the finding of 

 winter subsistence. For, in respect to winter feeding of 

 sheep or other cattle, the South has a great advantage 

 over the North in possessing a climate encouraging grass 

 to grow almost continuously, an elimination, to a large 

 extent, from the costs of sheep husbandry of the Norih- 

 ern expenses of housing the animals, and the storage 

 and cost of prolonged winter feeding. 



The physical characteristics of grasses must be 

 studied by the thoughtful farmer as respects their adapt- 

 ability to his special soils, climate and purpose ; for 

 instance, varieties doing well on dry land should not be 

 sown on heavy, low, damp situations, nor others afford- 



