CHAPTER 1 

 INTRODUCTION 



In all parts of the United States, forage plants are an 

 important element in all kinds of farming that involve 

 live stock. Even on farms devoted to special crops such 

 as vegetables or fruits the use of farm animals may bring 

 the question of forage into the foreground. For these 

 reasons nearly all farmers and stockmen are interested 

 in grasses. In those regions that have been long settled, 

 farm practice has included the use of certain grasses, the 

 kind depending upon the region. The farmer is familiar 

 with these grasses and understands their use and may 

 need no further information upon these. It often hap- 

 pens, however, that the farmer wishes to try other kinds 

 of grasses of which he has heard but with which he is not 

 familiar. He may have read about them in farm journals 

 or he may have seen them advertised in seed catalogues. 

 Interested dealers or growers may, in their enthusiasm 

 or greed, honestly or dishonestly recommend them in 

 flamboyant language or with exaggerated praise. 



It is hoped that the present work will give information 

 that will enable the farmer to form a correct judgement 

 as to the value of particular kinds of grasses for his con- 

 ditions. Some kinds of grass are well suited to one set 

 of conditions but entirely unsuited to others and no grass 

 is suited to all the various conditions found throughout 



