PARA AND GUINEA GRASSES 67 



The difficulty in eradicating Johnson grass arises 

 largely from the inherent quality in the human mind to 

 let "pretty well" alone. Thus when the grass is fairly 

 well subdued there is danger that the owner will relax 

 his vigilance, just when he should redouble his efforts. 

 It can be eradicated, but the nearer one is to that de- 

 sired goal the more intense should be his efforts. Salt 

 will not kill Johnson grass, but kerosene oil is said to 

 do so; it might be an efficient aid when once the grass 

 was reduced to a small number of plants. 



Para grass (Panicum molle) , and Guinea grass (Pani- 

 cum maximum). These two grasses are of great use 

 in Cuba and other tropical regions. They have been 

 introduced in a small way into Florida and southern 

 Louisiana. They are quite unlike in their manner of 

 growth. Para grass likes rich, moist or even wet land. 

 It is planted from slips or the roots are obtained. These, 

 when pushed into the prepared soil during the dormant 

 season, take root and send out long runners that lie 

 close on the ground. After the ground is well covered 

 with these leafy runners, upright stems appear. Para 

 grass is used mostly for pasturage and makes on rich 

 soil an astonishing amount. Guinea grass, according to 

 many writers, is the best of tropical grasses. Of it says 

 Prof. Frank S. Earle of the Cuban Department of Agri- 

 culture: "It is the best pasture and hay grass in the 

 world. It is usually planted by slips. The para grass 

 is rather a bad weed in some soils, about as bad as John- 

 son grass. It thrives best in low, half-swampy places. 

 It yields enormously on lands that would not be fit for 

 anything else." 



