GRASS-CROP AREAS 81 



the coast where the soil is often acid, redtop becomes the 

 dominant forage grass (Par. 32) . 



111. The Bermuda-grass area. — This area occupies 

 the region south of the timothy area and wesi ^o include 

 eastern Texas. Approximately this is also the cotton 

 region. The annual rainfall is sufficient for such forage 

 plants as timothy and clover but the summers are too 

 long and hot for the development of these crops. Some of 

 the annual plants of the timothy region such as the grains, 

 vetches, and crimson clover, can be grown in the south as 

 winter forage crops. The rye-grasses, though short-lived 

 perermials, can be treated as annuals and will give good 

 results when sown in the fall for winter forage. (See Far- 

 mers' Bulletin No. 509.) 



112. The Great Plains. — This is the area lying between 

 the Rocky Mountains and the two areas mentioned above 

 and extending from north to south across the United 

 States, and beyond its boundaries in each direction. The 

 annual rainfall along the eastern border is about 30 inches. 

 This decreases westward until it is about 15 inches at the 

 base of the mountains. This amount is too small for the 

 production of crops adapted to the humid region but many 

 specially adapted crops can be raised without irrigation 

 in the eastern half of the belt. The region is devoid of 

 forest except along the streams of the eastern part. 

 Before the land was occupied by man these plains were 

 covered with grass, the dominant species being buffalo- 

 grass, grama-grass and curly mesquite, all low grasses 

 that form a close sod. The early settlers used the sod to 

 make sod houses. 



The Great Plains are eminently adapted to stock- 

 grazing and there are throughout, but more particularly 

 in the western part, numerous large stock ranches. The 



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