The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-29
GRASS BREEDING
DRAWS ATTENTI0N
Dean Schaub And Other N,
C.. State Men Attend Con-
ference At Triton, Ga.

ture, received some of its deserved
attention at a regional grassland
conference held in Triton, Ca, last
week and attended by five repre-
sentatives of the Experiment Sta
ton of N. C. State college.
Whereas grass has 'jest growed'
other crops such as cotton, corn
tobacco and wheat have been I'M
proved vastly by both farmers and
scientists in recent years. Grass
breeding is Is years behind other
crops, but it is now getting the
serious attention it deserves.
Representing N. c. State college
at the regional conference were
DR.. l. O. Schaub, acting director
of the N. C. Experiment station
and president of the Southern AS
sociation of Agricultural Workers
which sponsored the meeting; and
R. L. Lovvorn, DR.. B. W. Smith,
W. H. Rankin, and w. M. Wood
house, all research agronomist OF
the college.
Agricultural leaders from all over
the south attended the meeting,
held at the Georgia Coastal Plain
Experiment station. Dean Schaub
told of some of the intensive grass
breeding work which has been done
in North Carolina during the past
year when he participated in a dis
cussion of How to Achieve a
Grassland Agriculture Suitable to
the South.
Others from North Carolina who
appeared on the programs on
Thursday, Friday n Saturday
were: R. E. McArdle, director of
the Appalachian Forest Experiment
Station at Asheville, speaking or
Forest Range Land Grazing Pro-
blems;" and H. L. Blomquist, head
of the botany department of Duke
university, speaking IN Grasses
and Men,"
The State college group reported
that one of the most interesting
developments discussed at the con-
ference was a repor on an up
right growing species of Bermuda
grass which has yielded 2 IL tons
of hay per acr under experiment
conditions.
. The upright Bermuda grass is
not as aggressive as the common
creeping varieties, and for this rea-
son it will not crowd out other
grasses when planted as a mix
-ture. On the other hand, steady
grazing cause it to revert
to the creeping aggressive habits
which at present limits its poten-
tial use only as a hay crop which
may be used in crop rotation.
Investigations are now in pro-
gress to determine the possibility
of using the upright Bermuda for
one hay crop, followed by grazing
of lespedeza which would be emerg-
ing about the time the hay is cut.
Another interesting grass which
attracted the attention of the agron-
omists has not received a common
name. It is of the same family as
Dahia grass and Dallis grass, and
combines the better qualities of
both. Preliminary experiments
have shown the new grass to be
more cold resistant than Bahia
grass which is grown successfully
only in Florida. On the other hand,
the seeds are free of ergot-a di-
sease that makes it next to i'm
possible to get Dallis grass seed
that will give a good stand in some
sections.
Also discussed at length by the
research workers were such heavy
duty 1egumes as kudzu and service
lespedeza, which have been found
good for healing gullles and Sc
verely eroded places; the ceed pro-
ducing qualities of burclover and
crotalaria; the improved susten-
ance value Of forage grown on fer
tilted land; and the growing of
supplemental feed to carry live
stock through months when Sou
thern pastures lost their sustenance
value.
1.-The grassland conference gave
our research workers an opportun-
1ty to get together and combine
results" Dean Schaub said.
In the long run we expect to
take a short cut to better grass
lands for the south.
I'VE intend to continue to en-
courage farmers to plant more le-
sumes and grasses to control ero-
sion, build up soil fertility, and add
to a ive-at-home program through
the expansion of the livestock in.
dustry. Federal programs will sup.
plement the efforts of the Exten-
sion Service in this connection.
1.-THE Soil Conservation districts,
the establishment of which North
Carolina has taken the lead in the
South and Nation, is n method
Of developing a grassland agricul-
ture. In the districts, the general
practice is to bring more grasses
and legumes into crop rotations
even on the best croplands. Where
the land is subject to erosion, both
putting the land into sod and ter
racing or comforting is carried out.
''Under the grant-of-aid program
of the Triple-A, farmers are able
to plant grasses and forage crops
and improve the soil for them in
practices they otherwise cannot at
lord. Lime and phosphate are avail
able through the grant-of-aid pro-
gram, and this year North Carolina
farmers have the opportunity to OBJ
tain Austrian winter pea seed I'm.
der this same plan, whereby the