20 CIRCULAR 3 2 8, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



An acre of cultivated land when set out with 4-inch cubes spaced 

 3 feet apart requires about 2 square rods of sod or a strip 12 inches 

 wide and 538 feet long. 



Buffalo grass has been successfully transplanted every month from 

 March to August, inclusive, but the best time appears to be in early 

 spring after growth has started and following a heavy rain. A 4-inch 

 cube is the most convenient size to handle and the most efficient in 

 spread. 



Four-inch cubes of sod when spaced 1 foot apart covered all inter- 

 vening spaces the first season, when spaced 2 feet apart the second 

 season, and when spaced 3 feet apart before the end of the third season. 

 Similar sods spaced 6 feet apart made a total cover at the end of the 

 fifth season. 



Extreme care is necessary in grading the land in advance and setting 

 the sods level with the surface of the ground if it is desired to have the 

 final surface smooth and even for landscape purposes. 



An effective way of planting large areas is to slide pieces of sod in 

 sheet-iron chutes from wagons to the surface of deeply cultivated land 

 and press them into the ground with a heavily weighted surface packer. 

 Packing the land after the sods are set is essential to success. 



Buffalo grass spreads largely by surface runners which should not 

 be disturbed by hoeing or cultivating. Cultivation also encourages 

 erosion. 



Clipping at a height of 2 inches or moderate pasturing at intervals 

 throughout the season to control other growth and admit sunlight is 

 beneficial to the spread of buffalo grass. 



Sweetclover if properly grazed may be grown continuously on areas 

 being resodded with buffalo grass, thus providing additional pastur- 

 age while the grass is becoming established. 



The cost of resodding, which consists mostly of labor, may be ma- 

 terially reduced by spacing the sods widely apart and depending upon 

 companion crops to provide pasturage until the land is fully occupied 

 by buffalo grass. 



Top dressing with soil after the grass has become established, to 

 level the uneven surfaces caused by wind and water erosion, is ad- 

 visable on lawns and other areas intended for landscape purposes. 

 The exclusive use of pistillate plants is preferred for lawn purposes. 



Buffalo grass may be used to advantage in controlling run-off and 

 erosion on well-drained sloping land, but it will not withstand pro- 

 tracted excesses of water on low land. 



Buffalo grass ranks high for grazing purposes. Although it is a 

 rather low producer, it is highly regarded as a nutritious and exceed- 

 ingly palatable pasture grass, capable of producing excellent summer 

 and cured winter pasturage. 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1935 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - - - - Price 5 cents 



