UNIVERSITY OF IlIINOTS 
AGRICULTURE LIBRARY 
(o36.7 
PASTURE GRASSES FOR THE ARKANSAS 
VALLEY. 
BY H. H. GRIFFIN. 
For years there has been considerable inquiry in re¬ 
gard to pasture grasses for this valley. The farmer is of¬ 
ten heard to remark “I wish I could get something on which 
to pasture a cow. this alfalfa is so dangerous.” 
Almost since the establishment of the substation pas¬ 
ture grasses have been tested for their adaptability to this 
section, but one of which has been reported upon in bulle¬ 
tin form, viz: Bromus inermis in Bulletin 61. 
The behavior of other grasses has been reported from 
time to time in the annual reports but this information is 
not generally accessible to the public. 
Enough data has now been obtained in regaid to the 
adaptability of all of the most important grasses, to warrant 
publication. 
The theory of permanent pastures is a very fine one. 
Farmers are more and more giving up the idea on lands 
under irrigation. I believe the farmer can get more feed 
and much greater returns from the land in a regular rota 
tion of crops. One acre of alfalfa cut and properly fed will 
keep an animal the year round. W ith pastures, much more 
land must be devoted to one animal. 
It will not pay the small farmer to devote much land to 
pasture. There are others having larger farms who do not 
look so closely to the return per acre, who do desire some 
grass for stock pasture. Often there are waste lands or 
tree claims that can be devoted to pasture. 
The first work in testing grasses was done in 1891. 
Mr. Huntley, then superintendent, reports on these in the 
annual report of the Experiment Station for 1894 as fol- 
lows: 
“Based upon trials of three years’ duration, but two grasses out 
of eight tried, have given promise of enduring field culture for pasture. 
They are Bromus and Orchard grass. The unsuccessful ones were, 
Hard Fescue, Meadow Fescue, Perennial Bye grass, Italian Rye grass, 
Red Top and Blue grass. It is quite probable some of these would suc¬ 
ceed in moist soils of other localities in the state.’ 
