MEADOWS AND PASTURES 103 



able. According to these estimates the area of unim- 

 proved pasture lands is about 4 times as large as the 

 improved pastures : 



91. Most important tame pasture plants. The most 

 important grazing plants on improved. American pastures 

 are Kentucky blue-grass, redtop, white clover and Ber- 

 muda. Of less importance are timothy, orchard-grass, 

 Canada blue-grass, red clover, alfalfa, alsike, lespedeza 

 and crab-grass. 



As to the relative value of these, there are no data 

 available to make accurate estimates. Kentucky blue- 

 grass is by far the most valuable pasture grass in the North 

 and Bermuda-grass in the South. White clover and red- 

 top are of importance over most of North America except 

 the semi-arid regions and the extreme South. 



Scaling the principal tame permanent pasture grasses 

 on a basis of 100, the following estimate is made of their 

 relative importance in America : 



Kentucky blue-grass , . 40 Alsike clover ..... 3 



Redtop ...... 10 Canada blue-grass ... 3 



White clover 8 Orchard-grass 2 



Bermuda-grass .... 8 Johnson-grass ..... 2 



Timothy ...... 8 Lespedeza 2 



Red clover . , . . , 4 Crab-grass ...... 2 



Alfalfa . 4 All others 4 



