FODDER CROPS AND PASTURES 169 



forms a perfect covering for the soil and protects it 

 from surface evaporation, and from the Leaching end 

 washing of rains. All grassed will not make good .turf; 

 in fact then ere comparatively few varieties that form 

 a perfectly even tnrf suitable for a lawn. On pasture 

 lands, h o wev e r , while ■ good turf is an advantage it is 

 not a necessity; any perennial crop tliat will cover the 

 surface of the soil and furnish food for stock may be 

 used. On many soils it is impossible except at great 

 cost to establish a good uirt'. hut there ere few soils 

 on which some sort of a pasture cannot be established. 

 Old fields that are now given over to weeds and gullies 

 may, with proper care, be converted into excellent pas- 

 ture.-. Only perennial plants should be used to form 

 a permanent pasture; annuals and biennials should be 

 avoided. There ere many perennial plants suitable for 

 permanent pastures, hut it would require loo much 

 space to attempt a list of them in this little book. The 

 various plants bed suited to different soils and climates 

 can be determined only by actual test The United 

 Btates Government has establis)>ed s number of grass 

 us for the purpose of determining the most 

 Valuable forage plants for different soils and climates. 

 There are a numher of such gardens scattered about in 



this country, and from them we may learn much in 



regard to the various kinds of forage plants. 



180. Temporary Pastures.— When a held is planted 

 in some crop to furnish grazing for only a limited time, 

 m\ months or a year for instance, it is called a tem- 

 porary pasture. For such pastures almost any forage 



