MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



449 



plow for this purpose is just after the last crop of 

 hay is harvested, or in spring before the growth 

 has begun. The yield of Johnson-grass may be 

 increased by sowing some winter legume, such as 

 bur-clover or the common vetch, and pasturing the 

 legume off during the late winter and early spring. 



The fact that livery stable men do not find John- 

 son grass hay a satisfactory feed, and the fear of 

 introducing Johnson-grass through the hay in sec- 

 tions where it is not already established, greatly 

 limit the market for this crop. There is a fair 

 market in some sections where the grass is well 

 established and in regions where the lumbering 

 industry is important. 



Recent studies by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture have resulted in discoveries that 

 render the complete eradication of Johnson-grass 

 comparatively easy. The underground stems live 

 only one year. After passing through the winter, 

 these stems have only one mission, and that is to 

 throw up branches to the surface. These new 

 branches, on reaching the surface, form crowns and 

 produce new plants. About blossoming time these 

 new plants send out a new growth of underground 

 stems, which, if the top is left uncut, grow to 

 great size and length, frequently penetrating the 

 soil to a depth of four feet. But if the top is cut 

 back promptly every time it heads out, these new 

 rootstocks develop very late in the season, are 

 very slender and remain very near the surface. If 

 the grass be cut close during a season, then by 

 plowing just deep enough to turn up all the root- 

 stock, say three to four inches deep, the grass can 

 be eradicated about as easily as Kentucky blue- 

 grass. The succeeding crop should be a cultivated 

 one, such as corn or cotton. A little better culti- 

 vation than usual will exterminate the pest when 

 it is treated as here outlined. 



Bermuda-grass (Cynodon Daetylon), Pig. 540, is 

 distributed throughout the cotton-belt, and through- 

 out the Gulf coast region, where cotton is not im- 

 portant. It ic decidedly difficult to eradicate and 

 hence is rather generally considered a weed. It 

 can be held in check by growing densely shading 

 crops such as sorghum, millet, cowpeas, velvet 

 beans and the like. By smoothing down the land 

 and allowing a perfect sod to form, the grass may 

 be killed by shallow plowing followed by thorough 

 tillage in dry, hot weather in summer. In the 

 northern part of its territory an old sod may easily 

 be killed by shallow plowing in late fall or in the 

 winter. The resulting exposure of the roots to 

 cold effectually kills the grass. 



When grown for hay, Bermuda may be cut two 

 or three times in a season. On good, fairly moist 

 land it will yield two or two and one-half tons of 

 hay per acre. In one instance, on James island, 

 near Charleston, S. C, where vetch volunteers in 

 the fall on a Bermuda sod many years old and is 

 allowed to die down in the spring, two crops of 

 Bermuda hay yielding four tons per acre are cut. 

 This field has been handled in the same way for 

 twenty-five years, with excellent results. It is 

 heavily fertilized every spring with phosphoric 

 acid and potash. 



B29 



Bermuda is the best pasture grass of the South. 

 Its carrying capacity is perhaps greater than that 

 of any other pasture grass in the country. In the 

 early part of the season, while the grass is young 

 and tender, it is highly palatable. In late summer 

 it becomes more or less wiry unless carefully 

 handled, and is not so satisfactory. Unlike John- 

 son-grass, it will bear any amount of trampling, 

 on the heavier class of soils at least, apparently 

 without injury. On light, sandy soils it is rather 

 easily driven out by other grasses, especially near 

 the Gulf coast by carpet-grass (page 451). 

 ! Bermuda pastures and meadows are usually 

 started from small pieces of sod incorporated in 

 the soil. The seed of this grass is rather unreliable 

 and usually costs not less than seventy-five cents 

 a pound. By giving the seed-bed special prepara- 

 tion, fining it by means of the harrow as much as 

 possible, and sowing the seed after the ground is 

 thoroughly warmed, three or four pounds of seed 

 will usually give a good stand, if it comes at all. 

 A very good way to set land to Bermuda is to 

 tramp into the ground while it is muddy small 

 pieces of Bermuda sod. Another way is to drop 

 pieces of sod two or three feet apart in every sec- 

 ond or third furrow while the land is being plowed 

 three or four inches deep. Still another very good 

 practice is to put the land in good condition by 

 plowing and harrowing, scatter pieces of sod broad- 

 cast and then roll them into the land. 



Paspalum dilatatum. Water-grass. '.Pig. 521.) 

 This grass is found more or less widelj' scattered 

 in thfe cotton-belt, and by many is thought to be 

 of considerable value for hay and pasture, though 

 its value is really not well established. It has 

 a long growing season, starting early in spring 

 and remaining fresh and green till fall. It is hardy 

 and will grow on a wide range of soils, but prefers 

 moist situations. It stands pasturing. The seed 

 has recently found a place on the market. The 

 seed is attacked by a fungous disease, which renders 

 most of it useless. It should be gathered either 

 very early in the season or very late to avoid this 

 fungous disease. Little is known concerning the 

 quantity of seed required or the best method of 

 seeding. [See page 451.] 



Cereals. The cereal grains are much grown for 

 hay and for winter pasture in the South. Oats is 

 by far the most important. They are all more or 

 less valuable for both of the purposes mentioned. 



Crab-grass (Syntherisma sanguinalis). Pig. 520. 

 This grass is abundant throughout the cotton-belt 

 and beyond. It is very frequently cut for hay, 

 which is of fair quality, and is much pastured. As 

 the grass comes up volunteer on land which is 

 cultivated in the early part of the season and left 

 undisturbed in midsummer, it is a cheap source of 

 feed. It furnishes an important part of the hay 

 crop, but is seldom sold off the farm where it is 

 produced. The yield is half a ton to a ton and a 

 half per acre, the smaller yields being usual ; three 

 tons per acre may be secured under the best con- 

 ditions. The seed is never sown, the growth being 

 entirely volunteer. It reaches its best growth in 

 moist lands.. The main difiiculty is to cure the grass 



