GRASSES 193 



of our pasturage is produced by American species of grass 

 plants, such as blue grass, buffalo grass, and the numerous 

 species of the ranges. 



240. Cheap gains are made on pasture grass. Were it not 

 for pastures we should have to pay much more for our meat, 

 milk, and wool, for they are produced from pasturage at much 

 less cost than from any other sort of feed. A cow can be pas- 

 tured at a cost of from 3 to 5 cents a day, and under such con- 

 ditions will give as much milk as when fed moderately on grain 

 and hay at a cost of from 1 2 to 1 5 cents a day. A steer at pas- 

 ture will gain from I to il pounds a day at an expense of 3 or 

 4 cents, or almost as much gain as it will make when fed grain 

 and roughage at a cost of from 10 to 20 cents a day. 



241. Carrying capacity of pastures. The carrying capacity 

 of pastures varies from the best ones, which require I acre for 



1 cow or steer for six months of the year, to the range pas- 

 tures, which may require 10 acres for each head of cattle. In 

 the best blue-grass regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, 

 and Missouri, the carrying capacity is about I head of cattle to 



2 acres for half the year. 



242. Why grasses stand pasturing. New growth is added 

 to the tops of the stems and branches of most plants. There- 

 fore when such plants are cropped or bitten off in grazing, the 

 growth is checked until new stems and branches are sent out. 



Grasses make their new growth at the base of the leaf ; the 

 lengthening blade is merely pushed along from below, and the 

 growth for the time at least is not seriously checked by the re- 

 moval of the tips of the leaves. In making new growth, however, 

 leaves are just as necessary for grasses as for any other plants. 

 It is not possible to secure the maximum yield with any species 

 of grass when the leaves are closely cropped all the season, 

 because there will not be enough leaf surface to organize the 

 plant's food. Also, when grazed very closely throughout the 

 season, grass has little opportunity to store food in its under- 

 ground stocks, with which to sustain the plants during the winter 

 and with which to begin growth in the spring. 



