92 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



beef-cattle attain their highest development in this 

 country. Were it not for its habit of remaining dor- 

 mant during the dry, warm months of summer, the 

 length of time required to secure a good stand of it, 

 and its comparatively low yield of forage, blue-grass 

 would indeed leave nothing to be desired as a pasture- 

 grass on soils to which it is suited. This is rather a 

 formidable array of objections to bring against the 

 "king of pasture grasses," but they are real, and 

 the very general dependence on blue-grass for pastures 

 leads many American farmers to the conclusion that 

 they cannot afford to keep good land in pasture. This 

 is particularly true in sections where the dairy industry 

 is important. But in those portions of the country in 

 which the production of beef is the leading feature of 

 farming, blue-grass pastures occupy much of the most 

 productive land; in fact, good pastures are indispens- 

 able to the economical production of first-class beef 

 and in raising horses on a large scale. For this reason 

 we find these two industries most highly developed in 

 the sections where blue-grass is at its best. 



Throughout the southern portion of its distribution 

 this grass is called ' ' blue-grass "or * * Kentucky blue- 

 grass." In Iowa and the central parts of Illinois, 

 Indiana, and Ohio, the name ' ' blue-grass ' ' is generally 

 used, while farther north it is generally known as 

 "June grass." 



The name ' ' Kentucky blue-grass ' ' originated from 

 the fact that the grass first became prominent in that 

 State. There are now sections of Iowa, Missouri, and 

 Illinois in which blue-grass is nearly or quite as pro- 

 ductive and as much prized as it is in the Blue-Grass 



