120 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



in southern sections. Bermuda grass seed was sown in Oklahoma 

 in 1892, and a set was secured in the Experiment Station grass 

 garden. The frosts of winter damaged the stand to some extent; 

 however, a subsequent analysis of the plot led to the selection of 

 some plants which survived these low temperatures. These plants 

 when reset came through the winter in good condition, and a new 

 growth started quite early in the spring. Later studies with regard 

 to this feature have demonstrated the fact that this selection pos- 

 sessed a characteristic which has been described as hardiness. 



"In referring to the initial selections the following outline was 

 made a matter of record in Oklahoma Bulletin No. 70, entitled 

 'Hardy Bermuda Grass' : Close observation of several different 

 plats of Bermuda grass indicated that some of it withstood the cold 

 weather better than others and began growing as early as April 1, 

 even after a hard winter. In order to test this characteristic more 

 carefully a large planting of roots was made early in July, 1904. 

 Part of the roots were taken from a plat recently grown from seed. 

 Other roots were taken from a plat that had been growing for at 

 least 10 years and which may have started from seed sown in 1892. 

 Its source is not known, but it is certain that this grass passed 

 through the freeze of February, 1899, when the temperature fell 17 

 degrees below zero with no snow on the ground. Little difference 

 was shown in the growth of the grass from the different plats, 

 and there was a heavy growth over all the field before frost. In 

 the spring of 1905, after an unusually severe winter with a tempera- 

 ture of 18 below zero, there was a marked difference. On March 

 29 all of the Bermuda grown from acclimated roots was green 

 and growing vigorously. It soon covered the ground perfectly to 

 the exclusion of crab grass. When roots recently grown from seed 

 were planted, all the previous season's growth was killed ; new 

 growth did not start from the roots until May, and then only in 

 patches. There was more crab grass than Bermuda grass on this 

 plat throughout the season. 



"Bermuda grass roots have been sent out to a large number of 

 districts within this state. Within the past 15 years a large num- 

 ber of the standard grasses have been grown on trial plots at the 

 station farm, and it has, therefore, been possible to compare these 

 types not only with Bermuda grass, but they have also been com- 

 pared with our native pasture grasses. For the average upland 

 soils of central Oklahoma Bermuda grass is superior to such types 



