CHAPTER VII 

 PRINCIPAL INTRODUCED FORAGE GRASSES 



On both temporary and permanent farm pastures of the 

 United States cultivated forage plants are the ones most exten- 

 sively grown. Many of the species used yield heavily, remain 

 palatable during a long growing season, and withstand cropping 

 well; others fail chiefly because of their unsuitability to the 

 climatic or soil conditions. Therefore it is important to know 

 the climatic, soil, and cultural requirements of the more valu- 

 able species. 



Classification of Cultivated Plants. — The world over, there 

 are probably not less than 10,000 species of grasses. According 

 to Hitchcock,^ about 1,500 species occur in the United States. 

 Of these, however, about 25, or maybe a few more, species are 

 extensively cultivated, some as cereal crops, and others for the 

 pasture, hay, or fodder which they produce. Not more than 

 five perennial grasses are sown extensively on permanent pas- 

 tures in this country. These are Kentucky bluegrass, Canada 

 bluegrass, Bermudagrass, Hungarian bromegrass, and redtop. 

 Some of these are drought-enduring; others are well adapted to 

 wet or, indeed, acid soils; and one (Bermudagrass) is well suited 

 to the humid, warm South. 



For hay and pasture combined, timothy, orchardgrass, Ken- 

 tucky bluegrass, and redtop are generally listed as the " big 

 four " — ■ the leaders. Of less importance are such species as tall 

 oatgrass, meadow fescue, Johnsongrass, Sudangrass, the rye- 

 grasses, and certain fescues. 



Kentucky Bluegrass. — Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) 

 is also known as Junegrass, smooth-stalked meadowgrass, or 

 simply bluegrass. It is a perennial which grows in tufts but 



1 Hitchcock, A. S., "The Genera of Grasses of the United States." U. S. 

 Dept. of Agr. Bui. 772, p. 3, 1920. 



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