GRASSES AND LEGUMES FOR FORAGE 

 AND CONSERVATION 



More than a billion acres in the United States are in grasses and 

 legumes. Probably half of this vast acreage is covered with natural vege- 

 tation. The other half billion acres have been man-planted to grasses and 

 legumes, or a mixture of the two, to provide feed for additional livestock 

 numbers and to conserve the nation's soil. 



For several years, agricultural leaders have been placing increased 

 emphasis on the importance of expanding and improving our extensive acre- 

 ages of grasses and legumes (1) as a means to more stable and economic 

 production of livestock, and (2) to conserve the soil by improving its struc- 

 ture, increasing its fertility, and protecting it from the ravages of wind and 

 water erosion. 



Like other species of plants, grasses and legumes vary in their adapta- 

 tion to climate and to soil types. Certain grasses and legumes perform 

 better in the Great Plains than in the Southeast, and some grow better on 

 clay than on sandy soils. Within the areas of general adaptation, certain 

 species excel in production for hay, silage, and grazing. Others are better 

 suited for erosion control or for the production of green manure. 



This report is intended to serve as a guide to the selection of species 

 and varieties of grasses and legumes adapted to a particular section of the 

 country and to a particular use. 



The new varieties of grasses and legumes listed possess specific 

 superior characteristics such as disease resistance, winter hardiness, 

 drought tolerance, seedling vigor, and persistence. Therefore, it is im- 

 portant to plant seed that is true to variety and well adapted to an area. 

 Since it is usually impossible to differentiate between common seed and that 

 of a superior variety, using certified seed is one of the surest ways of 

 getting seed that is true to variety. All certified seed carries an official 

 tag. 



The species --and their varieties --included in this report were selected 

 primarily for their usefulness as forage producers or conservation plants. 

 Availability of seed was also considered. Many useful species, varieties, 

 and strains are not listed because seed quantities are too limited. Those 

 included that may be in short supply in coming years are indicated in the 

 text; otherwise the seed supply is believed to be adequate. 



All of the grasses and legumes are listed alphabetically by their com- 

 mon names. The order of listing moves from the broad to the narrow 

 classification for each particular plant. Bluegrass, for example, is broken 

 down into Kentucky bluegrass and big bluegrass. No varieties of Kentucky 

 bluegrass are listed, but Sherman is listed as a subdivision of big blue- 

 grass since it is a particular variety of big bluegrass. Not all of the grasses 

 and legumes are subdivided into the more narrow classifications, but the 

 means of identifying them are uniform. 



