54 
CYNODON. 
Cynodon Dactylon (Bermuda Grass). 
A low, creeping perenniai grass, with abundant short encase at the base, sending 
up slender, nearly leafless, flower stalks or culms, which have three to five da 
diverging spikes at the summit. The spikelets are sessile in two rows on one side of 
the slender spikes; they each have one flower, with a short-pediceled, naked rudi- 
ment of a second flower; the outer glumes nearly equal, keeled; the flowering glume 
boat-shaped, broader, and prominently keeled; the palet narrow, and two-keeled. 
This is undoubtedly, on the whole, the most valuable grass in the 
South. It is a native of Southern Europe, and of all tropical coun- 
tries. It is a common pasture-grass in the West Indies and the Sand- 
wich Islands, and has long been known in the United States, but the 
difficulty of eradicating it when once established has retarded its intro- 
duction into cultivation. Its value, however, is becoming more appre- 
ciated now that more attention is being given to grass and relatively 
less to cotton, and better methods and implements of cultivation are 
being employed. Still, it seems probable, from the reports received, 
that at the present time a majority of farmers would prefer not-to have 
it on their farms. It seeds very sparingly in the United States, and as 
the imported seed is not always to be had, and is expensive, and often of 
poor quality, those who have desired to cultivate it on a large scale 
have seldom been able to do so. It is generally used as a lawn grass, 
and to hold levees or railroad embankments, and for small pastures. 
In some loealities, however, it has spread over a considerable extent of 
territory. Its natural extension into new territory has been slow, 
owing te the partial or entire absence of seed, but it spreads rapidly 
by its rooting stems when introduced. It is usually propagated arti- 
ficially by means of the sets or rooting stems. These are sometimes 
chopped up with a cutting-knife, sown broadcast, and plowed under 
not very deeply ; sometimes they are dropped a foot or two apart in 
shallow furrows, and covered by a plow; sometimes pieces of the sod are 
planted two feet apart each way. By any of these means a continuous 
sod is obtained in a few months if the soil is good and well prepared. 
The chief value of Bermuda grass is for Ssuammer pasture. It grows 
best in the hottest weather, and ordinary droughts affect it but little. 
The tops are easily killed by frosts, but the roots are quite hardy 
throughout the Southern States. It is grown to some extent as far 
north as Virginia, but in that latitude it possesses little advantage over — 
other grasses. In Tennessee, according to Professor Killebrew, its 
chief value is for pasture, there being other grasses there of more value 
for hay. Farther South, however, it is highly prized for hay. Tomake 
the largest quantity and best quality it should be mowed several times 
during the season. The yield varies greatly according to soil, being 
generally reported at from a ton and a half to two tons per acre. Much 
larger yields have been reported, however, in specially favorable local- 
ities where several cuttings were made. 
