28 Bulletin 827, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



IMPROVED PASTURE. 



Improved pasture as referred to in this report is defined as pasture 

 which is fenced, protected from fire, and seeded to some pasture grass. 

 Practically all such pasture is on cultivated land which has been 

 cleared of stumps and is under cultivation. Bermuda grass is the 

 foundation of practically all improved pastures in the Piney Woods. 



At Collins, Miss., 1 excellent stands of lespedeza and Bermuda were 

 obtained on native pastures which were disked and the seed sown 

 broadcast at the rate of 15 pounds of lespedeza and 3 pounds of 

 Bermuda per acre. 



At the McNeill station, in southern Mississippi, E. B. Ferris re- 

 ports success through sowing 2 pounds of Bermuda-grass seed to the 

 acre, mixed with 100 pounds of fertilizer, on rough land cleared 

 only sufficiently to get a " scooter " plow through it to break it up in 

 patches here and there. The land was sufficiently sodded to make 

 good pasture after midsummer of the first year. Later the Bermuda 

 grass was crowded out by carpet grass. However, Mr. Ferris adds : 



Many of the best pasture crops do not thrive as they should on the wild lands 

 until the lands have been plowed and sweetened — at least to a limited extent. 

 To plow and mow these lands with stumps still on them is almost out of the 

 question. 2 



Good results have been observed in a few instances where lespedeza 

 and carpet grass had been sown on rough stump land, disked or 

 roughly broken with plows. Lespedeza and carpet grass show par- 

 ticular promise for seeding on stump land, as they are especially 

 adapted and come in naturally on such land. Carpet-grass seed is 

 now a commercial product. Stands may also be obtained by pro- 

 tecting patches of carpet grass from grazing, cutting the hay, and 

 scattering it over the ground to be seeded. 



In the improvement of native pastures many varieties of forage 

 plants are useful. Among these are Bermuda and carpet grass, al- 

 ready referred to, which are recommended as a foundation for per- 

 manent pasture. Good results can not be expected from any of the 

 northern pasture grasses, a possible exception being white clover. 

 Alfalfa is not adapted to the Piney Woods section. Many imported 

 grasses, such as Para, grass, Rhodes grass. Guinea grass, St. Augustine 

 grass, Natal grass, and Xapier grass, have been tried and found im- 

 portant in some sections, but are limited to the coast line and the pen- 

 insula of Florida because of injury by frost. Information as to these 

 grasses can be found in Farmers' Bulletin 1125. 



1 The work at Collins, Miss., was conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry, t T - S. 

 Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Mississippi Agricultural and Me- 

 chanical College, on the ranch of H. M. Mcintosh, and was continued for 2 years, 



2 Mississippi Bulletin 180. 



