l6 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



USES OF FORAGE PLANTS 



According to the manner in which the forage is used, 

 forage plants may be divided into four groups. Pasture 

 plants, when grazed; Meadow plants, when the forage is 

 dried, that is, converted into hay; Soiling plants, when 

 the forage is cut and fed green; Silage plants, when the 

 forage is preserved in silos. 



4 



Pastures 



In 'the broadest sense, a pasture is any area furnishing 

 forage by grazing. Such are both the open range of our 

 western states and fields of grain that furnish temporary 

 grazing. In the usual sense a pasture is a fenced area of 

 grassland intended primarily for grazing. As the present 

 volume is concerned chiefly with cultivated forage crops, 

 the subject of ranges and range grasses will not be pur- 

 sued further here, but will be referred to briefly in 

 Chapter X. 



Pasture may be temporary or permanent. Temporary 

 pasture can again be subdivided into two classes. The 

 first class includes cases where the grazing is incidental, 

 the crop being produced primarily for another purpose. 

 Under this head come alfalfa fields grown for hay, but 

 grazed at certain seasons; or winter wheat grown for 

 the grain, but pastured during the fall or winter. 

 Meadows are sometimes pastured at times, where such 

 pasturage does not materially interfere with the crop of 

 hay. Temporary pasture of this sort may be called 

 incidental pasture. 



The second and most important kind of temporary 

 pasture is that produced from annual plants primarily 



