244 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



The viability of Australian seed ranges from 56 to 84 

 per cent. According to Hunt, one pound contains 1,800,000 

 seeds. 



JOHNSON-GRASS (Andropogon halepensis) 



290. Botany. Johnson-grass is native to South Asia 

 and about the borders of the Mediterranean in Africa and 

 southernmost Europe. The specific name comes from the 

 city Aleppo, whence it first became known to European 

 botanists. 



Two varieties occur in Europe; namely, the ordinary 

 form with awned spikelets, and the awnless variety sub- 

 muticus. Both of these also occur in the United States. 

 In India there is another variety distinguished by having 

 a loose drooping panicle. 



Andropogon halepensis is distinguished from all forms of 

 Andropogon sorghum by possessing underground rootstocks 

 and thus being truly perennial. 



291. Agricultural history. Johnson-grass was intro- 

 duced into South Carolina from Turkey about 1830. It 

 derives its common name from Col. William Johnson, who 

 grew it extensively near Selma, Alabama, beginning about 

 1840. In South Carolina it is still known as Means grass. 

 Governor Means of that state had sent a planter to Turkey 

 to instruct the Turks in cotton culture, and this planter on his 

 return brought back many seeds, including Johnson-grass. 



Numerous other local names have been attached to 

 Johnson-grass, among them Aleppo-grass, false guinea- 

 grass, evergreen millet, racehorse-grass, etc. 



In its wide spread since 1840, Johnson-grass has usually 

 been considered more as a weed than a cultivated plant, 

 but as late as 1884 and 1885 it was distributed by the 

 California Experiment Station as- a desirable new forage 

 plant. 



