24 THE AGRICULTURAL GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



grow upon all soils, even the poorest, and withstands the heat and 

 drought of summer remarkably well. It spreads rapidly, and some say 

 it will root out the broom sedge and even Bermuda. It is rather a 

 coarse plant, and should be tried only in places unsuitable for the bet- 

 ter grasses. In Louisiana, crab grass, though still common, is gradually 

 giving place as a pasture grass to Bermuda and white clover. Several 

 species of clover seem to be spreading over this section ; some of them 

 are said to afford considerable seed. 



The bur, or California clover [Meduago dentictdata), is reported in two 

 counties of Alabama, and has been successfully tried in Georgia. In 

 California it is highly esteemed. 



Paspalum ovatinn is found in Texas and Louisiana. It is highly 

 spoken of as a pasture grass by those who have examined it. (See re- 

 port of the botanist for 1880.) 



ISTumerous other grasses are found growing with the foregoing species 

 but generally are of no particular vakie, and having for the most part 

 no common names, they are spoken of as wild grasses, &c. 



In regard to native pasture grasses, Mr. Hawkins, of Hawkinsville, 

 Ala., says : 



There is but very little grass of auy kind here, except the wild varieties which come 

 spontaneously on all old fields with the broom sedge, and our A'ery best pastures are 

 on these old fields. Old fields when turned out usually grow weeds the first two 

 years, and require about four years for them to become sodded with broom sedge. 

 Burn this ofl:^ in early spring, and with sufficient cattle it need never be burned 

 again, as the cattle will keep it down. I have an excellent pasture of 150 acres of 

 this kind, which will keep in good condition thirty head of cattle, half as many mules 

 when not at work, and some hogs. 



NATIVE HAY GRASSES. 



In this section crab grass is cut very extensively, being reported 

 from nearly every county where any attention at all is given to hay. 

 Crow-foot, as a crop grass, is chiefly confined to Georgia. Some of the 

 coarse swamp grasses are cut to a considerable extent in certain local- 

 ities. 



CULTIVATED GRASSES. 



Over one-half of the reports from this section state that no attempts 

 have been made to cultivate grass for hay. They rely entirely upon 

 the volunteer grasses, the principal one being crab, which some con- 

 sider to be superior to the so-called cultivated grasses. 



The chief reasons given in faA^or of crab grass as a pasture grass and 

 for hay are that it is indigenous, and therefore well adapted to with- 

 stand the effects of the climate ; that the ground has only to be smoothed 

 after the corn is "laid by," and it comes voluntarily; that it never fails, 

 and does well on poor and sandy soil. 



In the remaining counties more or less introduced grasses have been 



