240 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



as a lawn grass. The slightest touch of frost, however, 

 causes the leaves to turn brown. 



On account of its ability to grow on any type of soil, and 

 its creeping character, Bermuda is an excellent soil binder 

 on sandy soil, on eroding slopes of clay and in gullies. It 

 is very abundant and useful for this purpose on the levees of 

 the Mississippi River. 



Bermuda is not well adapted to shade and perhaps for 

 this reason tends to disappear in fields where it is densely 

 shaded by other crops. 



282. Variability. Bermuda is a very variable grass, 

 and many forms have been considered distinct species by 

 botanists. Even the common form introduced into the 

 United States is very diverse, and Moorhouse at the Okla- 

 homa Experiment Station has secured numerous differing 

 forms by selection. Some of the forms are very distinct 

 and may become important. One of these recently in- 

 troduced from Brazil produces superficial runners 15 feet 

 or more long in a single season. 



In Florida occurs a form known as St. Lucie-grass, which 

 differs from ordinary Bermuda in never having under- 

 ground rootstocks. 



As Bermuda is easily propagated by cuttings, any 

 selected form is easily maintained. 



283. Importance. Bermuda-grass is the most impor- 

 tant perennial grass in the Southern States, filling much the 

 same position in respect to pasturage as Kentucky blue- 

 grass in the North. Bermuda is also a hay grass and large 

 quantities are thus harvested, especially in rich or alluvial 

 soils. Its area of marked value is mainly south of latitude 

 36 that is, the north line of Tennessee west to cen- 

 tral Oklahoma. In this area it is even more aggressive 

 than Kentucky blue-grass in the North, and, like the latter 



