GRASSES IN MISSOURI . 379 



nearly so large an area as does lespedeza, but where it has been 

 planted one finds the Bermuda and lespedeza growing together, and 

 this makes a better combination or better pasture than either plant 

 by itself. In the southern part of the state carpet grass appears 

 along the branch bottoms (what we are in the habit of calling 

 draws) and like lespedeza spreads naturally, and in this section 

 one will find carpet grass and lespedeza growing together. In the 

 prairie section, in east Mississippi, on the worn areas thereof, par- 

 ticularly where there is considerable exposure of the lime rock, 

 melilotus, commonly called sweet clover or bokhara, is an import- 

 ant pasture plant. On such areas, lespedeza makes the poorest 

 stand, and in consequence is of less importance than on any other 

 areas in the state; but even in these pastures it doubtless assumes 

 a value equal to melilotus. The very best combination I know is 

 Bermuda, lespedeza, white clover, bur clover and vetch on the same 

 land ; but the pasture area in this state on which one finds all of 

 these plants is very limited indeed. To recapitulate, lespedeza is 

 the universal pasture plant ; Bermuda is essentially the pasture 

 grass for this section, but as it must be planted it does not appear 

 over our entire pasture areas by any means. It is not nearly so 

 general as lespedeza. Just what area we have in Bermuda I do 

 not know. Then comes carpet grass in the moist bottom lands in 

 the southern part of the state, while other important pasture plants 

 are white clover, melilotus, bur clover and vetch. Lespedeza, Ber- 

 muda, carpet grass, white clover and melilotus practically furnish 

 the grazing in the pastures of this state, and if I should venture 

 a remark I would say that lespedeza furnished more grazing than 

 all of the others combined on account of its being everywhere and 

 the other plants growing only on limited areas. Johnson grass and 

 Bermuda are essentially our hay grasses. Other hay plants of im- 

 portance are alfalfa, lespedeza, cowpeas, oats, wheat and sorghum. 

 Soybeans should and may become an important hay plant. The uni- 

 versal hay proposition, applicable on every farm in the state, is 

 wheat or oats sown in September and cut in the dough stage the 

 latter part of May, then on the same land plant cowpeas or soy- 

 beans, giving two hay crops a year on the same land. 



MISSOURI. Prof. H. J. Waters, Director of the Missouri Ex- 

 periment Station, Columbia : Our studies have been principally 

 with timothy meadows, but I have made considerable study of 



