112 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



ners of white clover. It also produces underground 

 stems near the surface to the depth of 4 to 5 inches and 

 extending outward several feet. From the overground 

 creeping stems are numerous ascending or upright leafy 

 branches from 4 to 10 inches in height. Other grasses of 

 like appearance have only a single leaf to each joint, 

 while this grass has two, three, and even four leaves to 

 the joint. From 3 to 5 digitate spikes are borne on each 

 stem at the top when it blooms. These are widely 

 spreading, often purplish in color and 1 to 2 inches 

 long. The leaves are flat, also spread widely and grad- 

 ually taper to a slender acute tip. The roots, other than 

 the underground root-stalks, are fibrous and feed deeply, 

 but the usual depth for ploughing is deeper than the 

 root-stalks are wont to go. 



This grass, much written and spoken against, and 

 much feared by many planters because of the difficulty 

 of eradicating it in cultivated land, is steadily growing 

 in favor in the south, and justly so, owing chiefly 

 to its great value as a pasture grass under southern con- 

 ditions. Lands well laid down to Bermuda grass are in 

 many instances considered the most valuable property 

 of the southern farmer. It is strictly a summer grass, 

 as it grows best when the heat is greatest, the other 

 conditions being right. It starts late in the spring, grows 

 slowly at first and turns brown with the earliest frosts 

 of autumn, but it grows right on through the whole of 

 the summer. While it grows best in good soils, no grass 

 in the south will furnish so much valuable pasture when 

 grown on poor sandy, gullied or worn soils. It has much 

 power to withstand heat and drought. Though ap- 



