THE THREE LEADING FORAGE GRASSES 59 



during the summer months but revives rapidly during 

 the spring and fall. 



Within the climatic area adapted to its growth, blue- 

 grass may fail because of the sterility of the soil or be- 

 cause of the lack of lime. Sterility of the soil may be 

 corrected by the use of fertilizers or by thorough culti- 

 vation, but often these methods are not practicable. 

 If it is desirable to utilize sterile hills for pasture, it may 

 be advisable to use other grasses than bluegrass for this 

 purpose. 



As has been said, soils lacking in lime, the so-called 

 acid soils, are not well suited to bluegrass. Such soil is 

 found especially in the New England states and on the 

 Atlantic Coastal Plain. Acid soils are found less fre- 

 quently in the Middle States. Recently-drained swamp 

 land is usually unsuited to bluegrass without special 

 treatment. Acid soils may be rendered suitable by the 

 addition of lime or land plaster if the lack of lime is the 

 only unfavorable condition. In the lime-poor region of 

 the Atlantic Coast it may be more economical to use some 

 grass like redtop that thrives on such soil, than it would 

 be to resort to liming. 



Bluegrass for Pasture 



In the humid region, bluegrass is the best grass for 

 permanent pasture. It does not fit well, however, into a 

 rotation where only one, two, or even three years are 

 given to pasture. For one or two crop years, larger 

 returns are given by other grasses such as timothy or 

 orchard grass. In regions where bluegrass abounds it 

 comes in spontaneously and occupies grassland suited 



