SOUTHERN GRASSES 239 



However, a definite and unmistakable account of Ber- 

 muda-grass in the United States is given by Mease, 

 " Geological Account of the United States," p. 227, pub- 

 lished in 1807. 



281. Adaptations. Bermuda-grass occurs in the 

 United States generally from Pennsylvania west to cen- 

 tral Kansas and south to the Gulf of Mexico ; also in 

 Arizona, New Mexico and California. 



It extends somewhat farther northward, being found in 

 Massachusetts and Washington, but its continued exist- 

 ence in the Northern States is precarious. Much of it 

 survived the cold of January, 1912, in the District of 

 Columbia, when the temperature fell to 18 F. The 

 spread and growth of the grass about Washington, 

 D.C., in the past ten years seem to be more vigorous than 

 formerly, which may be due to gradual acclimatization. 

 That Bermuda-grass does become more hardy seems to 

 be demonstrated by investigations at the Oklahoma 

 Experiment Station, where the local established strain 

 was able to withstand 18 F. while plots grown from 

 Australian seed usually become winter-killed. 



In general, however, Bermuda-grass is best adapted 

 in the United States to the same general area as cotton, 

 and in this region is relatively as important as is Kentucky 

 blue-grass in the North. It has also become abundant in 

 California and Arizona, but in these states it is looked 

 upon as a pest because of the difficulty it causes in 

 alfalfa as a weed, whence it is sometimes called " devil- 

 grass." 



Bermuda will grow in all types of soil, but makes its 

 best growth on rich, moist bottom lands, but the soil must 

 be well drained. It has marked ability to withstand close 

 grazing or close clipping, and on this account is much used 



