CULTIVATED PASTURES 35 



of the humid region where the latter does not thrive it 

 serves a useful purpose. Nearly all the American seed is 

 grown in the province of Ontario, Canada. (See Farmers' 

 Bulletin No. 402.) 



Tall meadow oat-grass. — This is a good grass with poor 

 seed habits, the seed shattering out badly in harvesting 

 and handling. The species is adapted to the timothy 

 region but is only sparingly grown. 



Velvet-grass. — This species is of little value except on 

 sterile soil where other grasses will not grow. It is well 

 established on the Pacific coast, especially from northern 

 California to British Columbia, where it is common in 

 swamps, grass-land, waste places and open ground gen- 

 erally. It is not much utilized for forage except on the 

 sandy land around the Columbia River. Animals do not 

 relish the hay unless they have acquired a taste for it. 



36. Southern pasture-grasses. — In the moist regions 

 along the Gulf coast, carpet-grass is a valuable and 

 nutritious grass. This is a native of the tropics extending 

 into the southern United States. It thrives in open, moist 

 land where it forms a green carpet. It is not cultivated, 

 but comes into natural pastures voluntarily and persists 

 because it withstands grazing and trampling. Another 

 species found especially in mucky soil along the Atlantic 

 coast from South Carolina to southern Florida is St. 

 Augustine-grass. This is similar in its habits to carpet- 

 grass. (See Farmers' Bulletin No. 509.) 



37. Two common tropical grasses, Pard-grass and 

 Guinea-grass, should be mentioned although except in 

 the extreme southern portion they are not hardy in the 

 United States. Par^-grass, a native of Brazil and cul- 

 tivated in the lowlands throughout tropical America, 

 is occasionally used for pasture in southern Florida and 



