The Little River news., 1916-01-12
SUMMER PASTURE
Suouestions on Planting Bermuda
 Grass in South.
Resistant to Heat, Drought and Tram bling by Live Stock-Tendency to Become Sod Bound-Used to
 Arrest Soil Erosion.

(Prepared by the United States De-
 partment of Agricultural
 Bermuda grass is well and favorabiy known in the South. On most soils It is grown primarily as summer pas" turage, although it is cut to some ex- tent for hay It is resistant to heat, drought and trampling by live stock, but the leaves are easily killed by frost, and the plants rarely survive the winter north of the Potomac and ono rivers Hence Bermuda grass finds its chief field of usefulness in the south ern states as far north as Virginia and Kentucky. On account of It's dense growth and abundant leaflness, Bermuda grass yields very heavily in proportion to it's height. Ordinarily 1t will average about one ton of hay per acre to cutting, but double thls yield has been obtained under favor able conditions While yields are small on poor land, a rich moist soil will produce a fairly heavy yield, and two crops can ordinarily be cut each year. Both pastures meadows should be plowed on every few years on account of the tendency of this grass to become sod bound.
 Bermuda grass has about the same feed value as timothy hay when used as a feed for horses, Mules do about equally well upon either Bermuda grass or timothy. The former hay. however, has no fixed status on the market, which is, of course, handl- cap when the crop is offered for sale. Louisiana uses more Bermuda grass hay than any other state.
 The propagation of Bermuda grass is largely by sowing, or planting small pieces of rootstocks or of the sod. The work is easily done, the root stocks being chopped up in cutting box and sown broadcast on well pre- pared ground, and then covered with Q disk or common harrow. In some instances the sod itself is used. Some farmers prefer to plant cuttings in in shallow furrows feet apart, the plants being set about IS inches apart in rows A corn marker or shovel cultivator may be used for opening the furrows After the cuttings are dropped they should be covered at once with soil. The covering may be done either with the foot or hoe. To save the loss of the land while Der imuda grass is starting, it may be planted in rows of any intertilled crop after the last cultivation. Bermuda grass does not thrive, however, if too densely shaded. When an old field is plowed the sod can be torn into shreds and used in starting new field, by throwing pieces into the fur row after the blow, and covering with a harrow.
 The farmer may desire to start his field of Bermuda grass by sowing the seed rather than propagating by root stocks. The seed of Bermuda grass is now grown in Arizona, and this is of much better quality than that for merly on the market. The seed Is very fine and rather high priced, therefore the seed bed should be we'll prpared and firm, in order to avoid too deep sowing The seed should be sown at the rate of to 5 pounds per acre, and covered with roller. The best time to SOW in the extreme South Is in February or early March-farther north in March or April. The seed is mixed with meal or soil, so as to make a larger bulk and make it easy to scatter more evenly.
 Bermuda grass is sometimes planted with hairy vetch. lespedeza or other crops in permanent pastures, thus i'm proving the quality of the pasturage On Bermuda grass and vetch pastures the live stock should be kept on for