States Bermuda Grass has been the 
principal lawn grass for many 
years. Bermuda Grass has long 
been used for hay and pastures. Grow- 
ing interest in livestock production 
and necessity for soil conservation by 
the prevention of erosion has greatly 
increased its potential acreage. Pas- 
ture specialists agree that Bermuda 
Grass is the best upland pasture grass 
for the lower South. It is unequalled 
for preventing soil erosion. It is now 
being planted on eroding lands no 
longer suited for cultivation but which 
may be brought back with grass and 
converted into permanent pastures. 
I: THE Southern half of the United 
SOIL REQUIREMENTS 
Bermuda will grow on any well- 
drained soil. It will tolerate some 
flooding for a week or so and survive. 
When the water is drained off it re- 
covers rapidly and will produce a 
good pasture or hay. Bermuda will 
live on soil of low fertility, but like 
any plant, will do better when suffi- 
cient plant food is available or add- 
ed by commercial fertilizer. Growth 
results in direct proportion to avail- 
able nitrogen. 
PLANTING METHODS 
Prepare the seed bed by double 
discing or heavy renovation. Level 
it down, preferably with disc or sec- 
tion harrows. Broadcast Bermuda 
Grass Seed at the rate of 5 to 7 pounds 
per acre of unhulled seed. This is a 
small amount of seed and Bermuda 
seed is light in weight. It is, there- 
fore, advisable that this be mixed with 
about equal parts or more of cotton 
seed meal or soil to increase the bulk. 
To get good distribution it is prefer- 
able that half the seed be broadcast in 
one direction and the other one-half 
in the opposite direction. After seed- 
ing is completed, cover the seed with 
a light harrow or even better a brush 
drag. The seed is very small and can- 
not stand deep covering. If avail- 
able, use a cultipacker to press the soil 
tightly around the seed. 
Write the Bermuda Industry, Box 61, Yuma, 
for additional information 
How to Make Its Use Profitable to You! 
TIME OF PLANTING 
We agree with the minority of agri- 
cultural specialists and say that the 
best time to plant Bermuda Grass is 
in the months of December, January, 
February or March, when the ground 
is cold. Let nature then take its 
course and it will germinate when the 
temperature of the soil warms up to 
above 60-65 degrees in the spring of 
the year. Unhulled Bermuda will not 
spoil or germinate in cold soil and will 
not sprout until the ground starts to 
warm up. During summer, without 
irrigation or other artificial watering, 
it is not usually possible in most areas 
to get the necessary six weeks of con- 
tinuous moisture required for germi- 
nation and necessary rooting to safely 
establish Bermuda. To be safe it 
should be up and growing a month or 
more before winter freezes occur. 
FERTILIZING 
When Bermuda Grass is well estab- 
lished, it is a very tough and rugged 
plant. Pasture and hay production can 
be increased by renovation. Aerating 
the surface soil increases bacterial ac- 
tion that makes more mineral plant 
foods available. The application of 
100 to 200 pounds of complete ferti- 
lizer high in nitrogen increases 
growth and also increases the value 
of the grass for grazing or hay. On 
heavy soils fertilizer may be applied 
during the winter after Bermuda 
Grass is dormant or on light sandy 
soils it should be applied in the early 
spring when growth has started. The 
best permanent pasture in the South 
is a well established Bermuda sod, 
renovated about the second year and 
with winter clovers added for winter 
grazing. This combination of Bermuda 
Grass for summer and clovers for win- 
ter will give grazing almost twelve 
months of the year. A good Bermuda 
sod established before clovers are 
planted will prevent the young clover 
from being heaved out of the ground 
the first winter. Complete fertilizers 
applied to Bermuda will also promote 
the growth of clover during winter. 
These added minerals should be sup- 
Arizona Bermuda Grass 
SEED 

plemented with lime on soils that are 
deficient in calcium. 
BERMUDA AS A FEED 
In addition to supplying winter 
grazing, clover legumes gather nitro- 
gen from the air during their growing 
period, thereby storing it up in the soil 
so that the Bermuda Grass is relished 
by all livestock and if kept grazed 
closely or clipped from time to time, 
they will continue to eat it through- 
out the year. On the richer soils Ber- 
muda can be allowed to make exten- 
sive growth and cut for hay. Such 
hay is considered very desirable and 
similar to Timothy for horses and 
other livestock. Fertilized Bermuda 
that has had the proper mineral ele- 
ment provides a much more valuable 
feed than if cut from poorer soil. 
SOIL EROSION 
For many years Bermuda Grass has 
been used extensively for the preven- 
tion of river levee erosion. Athletic 
fields, Army Post drill grounds, road 
fills, cuts, road shoulders, ditches and 
right-of-ways have been put in Ber- 
muda to prevent washing. In recent 
years the Soil Conservation Service 
has done extensive planting of Ber- 
muda to prevent erosion of water- 
sheds on farms. At the beginning of 
this war all Bermuda Grass seed was 
frozen to be used on airports, Army 
Camps, etc., which meant that it was 
recognized as being the best grass for 
that purpose in the South. 
SEED SUPPLY 
The Triple A recognized the value 
of Bermuda Grass first in their soil 
conservation program and also for 
planting to produce both pasture and 
hay as a feed in our much enlarged 
livestock program. In many states 
farmers could secure Bermuda Grass 
seed on purchase orders for use in es- 
tablishing pastures and hay fields. 
Cost of planting Bermuda Grass seed 
is very reasonable because it only 
takes from 5 to 7 pounds per acre, 
while if one undertakes to sprig or 
sod, the expense is so heavy that only 
limited acreages could be put in. 
ADVANCE SEED COMPANY 
rizona, 
P. O. Box 1471 
Phoenix, Arizona 
