2 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



1 25,000,000 acres of improved land devoted to orchards, 

 woodlands, and pastures. Since practically all the 

 improved woodland is pastured, and since the area in 

 orchards is relatively very small, it is safe to say that 

 at least 120,000,000 acres of this area is grass-land 

 used for pasture purposes. Of the harvested crops, 

 about 59,000,000 acres is devoted to hay. It is thus 

 seen that the ha}' crop occupies over 22 per cent, of all 

 land from which crops are harvested, while hay and 

 pasture lands together constitute about 43 per cent, of 

 the total area of improved land. The value of the hay 

 crop for the year 1899 is estimated at $484,256,846. 

 The only crop exceeding this was corn. 



It is impossible to estimate the value of the feed 

 obtained from the 120,000,000 acres of improved pas- 

 ture-land; but when we add the value of this and the 

 pasture value of the remaining 82 per cent, of the total 

 area of the country classed as unimproved land, nearly 

 all of which is grazed, it is probable that the grass 

 crop surpasses in value any other crop. But since hay 

 is too bulky and usually too cheap to bear long-distance 

 shipment, comparatively a small proportion of it finds 

 its way to the markets. It is fortunate that at least 

 one important crop must, from its very nature, be 

 largely consumed on the land where it is produced. 

 Otherwise we should long ago have reduced the 

 fertility of practically all the farm lands in this 

 country to so low a point as to have rendered farm- 

 ing unprofitable, just as has been done in all the 

 older parts of the country where livestock farming has 

 been neglected. It is a notable fact that in those por- 

 tions of the country which have enjoyed the most per- 



