PASTURE AND FOKAGE CROPS 165 



also is a native of the Soutiiern states, where it is 

 mostly confined to moist, sandy lands. It is a low 

 creeping grass which forms a dense sod when heavily 

 pastured. Carpet grass and Bermuda grass are the 

 only two grasses that serve for permanent pastures 

 on light, sandy soils in the Gulf states. It seeds 

 freely, but is seldom or never planted, coming in of 

 its own accord where land is so heavily pastured as 

 to kill out other vegetation. It stays green through- 

 out the winter and furnishes grazing for twelve 

 months in the year. It does not grow high enough 

 to cut for hay. 



Mexican Clover (^RicTiardsonia scahra). — This plant 

 has no right to the name of clover ; it is an annual 

 weed of cultivated fields, belonging to the Madder 

 family, the Ruhiacece. It is a native of tropical 

 America, but is now widely introduced throughout the 

 Gulf states. Like crab grass it comes up in the fields 

 after the crops are laid by and affords good grazing 

 or yields a heavy cutting of nutritious hay. It is 

 usually found only on light, sandy soils. 



Japan Clover QLespedeza striata). — This plant 

 was introduced into the Southern states during the 

 Civil War, presumably in forage. It is now abun- 

 dant throughout the South, and extends as far north 

 as southern Illinois. It is a low-growing, prostrate 

 annual, coming up late in the spring along roadsides 

 and in pastures and waste places. It is eagerly eaten 

 by live stock, and for two or three months furnishes 

 abundance of nutritious pasturage even on lands too 

 poor and dry to support the ordinary pasture grasses. 

 On richer lands it grows to a height of one to two 



