GRASSES FOR THE SOUTH. 337 



countries, where the valuable grasses will not grow, but as com- 

 pared Avith the Northern States, the climate of the South is cer- 

 tainly better adapted to grass culture, if we take into considera- 

 tion the whole year. At the North, during the whole winter 

 and late in the spring, the ground is hard frozen or covered 

 with snow. Of course, during that period the grass is useless, 

 and this constitutes a large portion of the year. The heat and 

 dry weather of the summer are the drawbacks to grass culture at 

 the South. But these affect summer pasture alone. They do 

 not affect the hay crop. Clover and hay grasses are cut before 

 dry weather sets in. The hay crop at the South will not be 

 injured one year in twenty by dry weather in the spring. We do 

 not know a country more favored in this particular. In England, 

 while the grass grows luxuriantly in the spring, it is very uncer- 

 tain whether there will be enough dry weather at the proper 

 time to save the hay. "We, on the contrary, always have rain 

 enough in the spring to mature the grass, and. not enough rain 

 to render the hay harvest at all precarious. When the hay is 

 cut, will not the July and August sun kill the grass? There is 

 danger of this result if live stock are turned upon the meadow as 

 soon as the hay is hauled out, and the grass is grazed close to the 

 ground. A meadow at the South should never be grazed during 

 the summer. The aftermath will protect the roots of grasses 

 during summer. 



" After fall rains set in and cool weather begins, the meadows 

 may be moderately grazed in dry but never in wet weather. 

 With some grasses this grazing may be continued during all the 

 dry weather of the winter. This winter grazing is the great 

 advantage of the South. It more than compensates for the 

 drought and heat of summer. It saves, to a considerable extent, 

 the cost of cutting and curing hay, and of the construction of 

 expensive barns. At the North, cattle and sheep are shut up in 



