INTRODUCTORY VIEW 



11 



crops may be cut and dried before feeding, as is the case 



with hay or stover, or they may be fed green, either by 



allowing the animals to graze upon them, or by cutting 



and feeding them directly from the field. The straw 



of the grain crops is frequently used for forage. Forage 



crops, however, usually mean the crops in which the 



entire above-ground 



part of the plant is 



used. Almost all of 



the important forage 



crops are included 



in the membership of 



two botanical families, 



namely, the Gramin- 



ese and Legumin- 



osae, or as the two 



groups are commonly 



called, the " grasses " 



and " legumes." The 



forage crops rank next 



to the grains in value 



and acreage, and if 



Fig. 2. 



- Six leading crops of the United 

 States. 



the 



native pasture is included, 

 acreage is greater than that of the grain crops. 



15. The fiber crops. — Fiber crops are those crops 

 grown for their fiber, which is used in the making of 

 textiles, ropes, twine, and the like. Cotton is by far 

 the most important of this group of plants, and its great 

 acreage and value give to the fiber crops the third rank 

 in this respect. 



16. The root and related crops. — Root crops are 

 those crops grown for their enlarged tap roots. Several 

 other crops with thickened leaves and stems which re- 

 semble the true root crops in their composition and 



