2 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
125,000,000 acres of improved land devoted to orchards, 
woodlands, and pastures. Since. practically all the 
improved woodland is pastured, and since the area in 
orchards is relatively very small, it is safe to say that 
at least 120,000,000 acres of this area is grass-land 
used for. pasture purposes. Of the harvested crops, 
about 59,000,000 acres is devoted to hay. It is thus 
seen that the hay crop occupies over 22 per cent. of all 
land from which crops are harvested, while hay and 
pasture lands together constitute about 43 per cent. of 
the total area of improved land. The value of the hay 
crop for the year 1899 is estimated at $484,256,846. 
The only crop exceeding this was corn. 
It is impossible to estimate the value of the feed 
obtained from the 120,000,000 acres of improved pas- 
ture-land; but when we add the value of this and the 
pasture value of the remaining 82 per cent. of the total 
area of the country classed as unimproved land, nearly 
all of which is grazed, it is probable that the grass 
crop surpasses in value any other crop. But since hay 
is too bulky and usually too cheap to bear long-distance 
shipment, comparatively a small proportion of it finds 
its way to the markets. It is fortunate that at least 
one important crop must, from its very nature, be 
largely consumed on the land where it is produced. 
Otherwise we should long ago have reduced the 
fertility of practically all the farm lands in this 
country to so low a point as to have rendered farm- 
ing unprofitable, just as has been done in all the 
older parts of the country where livestock farming has 
been neglected. It is a notable fact that in those por- 
tions of the country which have enjoyed the most per- 
