OTHER PERENNIAL GRASSES 219 



planting the bits of sod are in common practice. They 

 may be spread in the growing corn and covered at the last 

 cultivation, or the field may be plowed and marked off 

 with furrows two feet apart and the sod dropped in the 

 furrow and covered. Sometimes the bits of sod are 

 dropped in the furrow as the ground is being plowed. 

 Probably the most interesting method is that of having a 

 barefoot boy carrying the pieces of sod in a basket, pass 

 over the field soon after a rain, dropping the sod and 

 pressing it into the soil with his foot. So vigorously do 

 the root stalks grow out in all directions, that a dense sod 

 is formed within a short time. 



JOHNSON-GRASS 



213. Johnson-grass, Sorghum halepense, was introduced 

 into the United States about 75 years ago and rapidly spread 

 over the Southern States. It is known in some localities as 

 Means grass. The plant is strongly stoloniferous, growing from 

 4 to 7 feet in height, bearing long, broad, flat leaves. The 

 panicle resembles that of the millets, bearing the spikelets in 

 pairs. The seeds, when thrashed, are naked and resemble those 

 of the sorghums in appearance. The weight per bushel is 45 

 pounds. This grass is common in the Southern States, where in 

 many places it is regarded as a weed, because of the difficulty of 

 eradicating it. As a hay grass, it is 'one of the best in the South. 

 It yields more than any other ; in favorable localities three full 

 cuttings can be made per year. The quality of the hay is excel- 

 lent, being preferred by live stock to timothy. It does not sell 

 readily on the market, because the seeds carried with the hay 

 cause it to be introduced into localities where it is considered a 

 serious pest. As a pasture grass, it is very productive, but does 

 not stand tramping well and is not so good for this purpose as is 

 Bermuda-grass. 



THE RYE GRASSES 



214. Perennial rye grass, Lolium perenne, is a native of 

 Europe and is sometimes called English rye grass. It is peren- 



