Cut-Over Pine Lands in the South. 21 



the importance of beef -cattle production should be in direct propor- 

 tion to the amount of grazing furnished. The abundance and quality 

 of the native pastures, therefore, are points of prime importance in 

 considering the cut-over lands for beef-cattle production. 



Though the Piney Woods region is not noted for the general use 

 of tame or cultivated grasses, the growth of native vegetation is 

 abundant in all sections, and in most places could be termed luxuriant. 



NATIVE PASTUBES. 



The term " native pasture," as used in this bulletin, refers to the open 

 range as left after logging operations. Such range is unfenced and 

 covered with stumps, crowns, unmerchantable logs, and small timber. 

 Practically no undergrowth is present immediately after the land is 

 cut over, but a second growth of blackjack oak, scrub oak, or pine 

 saplings appears in a few years, depending upon the kind of soil. 

 Grazing is scarce in the virgin timber, as the ground is heavily 

 shaded, covered with a carpet of pine needles, and burned over each 

 year. With the removal of the. timber grass becomes more abundant. 



The principal native pasture grasses are wire grass, 1 broom sedge, 

 carpet grass, lespedeza or Japan clover, "switch" or reed cane, 

 maiden or blue cane, hop clover, and Bermuda grass. 



In general the grasses of the native pastures consist almost 

 entirely of wire grass and broom sedge, the important additions be- 

 ing carpet grass and lespedeza, which are not abundant except in 

 pastures protected from fire. The native pastures furnish good graz- 

 ing from early in spring until about the first of July, and the carry- 

 ing capacity is relatively high. About that time wire grass and broom 

 sedge begin to mature and the grazing is inferior, only the growing 

 tender portions being eaten by cattle. Grazing changes largely to 

 the Paspalums and lespedeza, and cattle require practically unlimited 

 range to maintain themselves. 



Although there is usually an abundance of dead wire grass left 

 on the range during fall and winter, it serves only as a filler and 

 cattle will not eat it if any other forage is available. Winter 

 pasture consists almost entirely of canebrakes, and some carpet grass, 

 both of which are usually very limited. 



Wire grass 1 constitutes the principal growth of the native pastures^ 

 and the Piney Woods is often referred to as the " wire-grass country." 

 Wire grass furnishes good grazing in the growing season of early 

 spring, and cattle make good gains during this season, but do not 

 like it when the stems become hard and dry with mature growth. 



1 The term " wire grass " includes a great many species of Aristida besides some of 

 Sporobolus and Muhlenbergia. Small, in his Flora of the Southwestern United States, 

 describes 28 species of Aristida. 



