Some of the imported types of orchard grass have been increased or grown for several years in the United States and, no doubt, have lost part of their original characters, either through natural selection or cross pollination with domestic types. An example is S-143, a strain imported from Aberystwyth, Wales. During its few years in the United States, it has developed into a plant that is tall-growing, a good seed producer, and of medium leafiness. A recent introduction of the same strain from Wales is low-growing, a sparse seed producer, and leafy.

Tall fescue (Festuca elatior var. arundinaceae), a variety of meadow fescue, has been used extensively throughout the United States for a long time. Beginning in 1890, however, meadow fescue came into prominence, and domestic seed production developed in eastern Kansas, western Missouri, and parts of Indiana in particular. Meadow fescue was short-lived and finally fell into disrepute. With increased interest in grassland agriculture, attention was given to these grasses because they were adapted to semi-wet land conditions. The first improvement work on them was started in Oregon.

Alta fescue was developed in 1923 by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and the Department, from a 4-year-old stand of tall fescue. It is long-lived, deep rooted, and has numerous coarse basal leaves. In Oregon, it is taller, more robust, higher in forage yield, and longer-lived than the ordinary meadow fescue. It is highly resistant to crown rust, Helminthosporium net blotch, and other diseases that seriously attack meadow fescue. Seed is being produced in Oregon and Washington. The first increase was made in 1932 at the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, and by 1936 the first commercial growers had it in production. By 1945 the commercial seed production of Alta fescue in Oregon almost equalled the total domestic production of meadow fescue.

Since the selection of Alta fescue, other strains of the tall fescues almost identical to it have been found growing in other parts of the United States, although they are not in commercial production. In Kentucky a similar strain known as K-31 is under test. At the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station another strain was identified as tall fescue and proved to be similar in growth type and habit to Alta fescue.

The principal weakness of this grass as a pasture crop is its coarse, tough leaves. Livestock will graze it, however, when it occurs in mixtures, or even in pure stands if other grasses are not available. Because it has many desirable characters, both for forage and turf purposes, Alta fescue is worth efforts to improve it further.

Southern Grasses

Hay and pasture crops merit special attention in the South, in view of the demand for a greater production of livestock and the need to adjust the uses of land.

In the South, Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is the most widely grown grass. Its tendency to spread to cultivated fields has given it a bad name among farmers who grow row crops like cotton and tobacco, but it grows on upland soils of various types and can control erosion.

In 1929 agronomists at the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton found a robust plant of Bermuda grass growing in a cotton field near the station. The plant was increased vegetatively and distributed as Tift Bermuda grass. Later, Department workers started an intensive breeding program at Tifton, planting tall-growing strains that had originated from common Bermuda, Tift, and an introduction from South Africa. These were allowed to cross-pollinate naturally. From these parents seed was collected in 1938, and more than 5,000 single plants were grown for careful study one by one. Of them, 147 of the most promising plants were selected. They were tested further, and among them a superior strain was found. It is now being increased and distributed under the name of Coastal Bermuda.

Coastal Bermuda grass has larger stems, stolons, rhizomes, and longer internodes than common Bermuda. It is also leafier, more tolerant to cold, and resistant to leafspot. Because it produces little or no seed in the Coastal Plains region, it must be increased by vegetative plantings.

A 3-acre nursery of Coastal Bermuda, established in 1943 at the station at Tifton, supplied planting material to more than a thousand farmers in 1944. It is being distributed also by the Soil Conservation Service and other experiment stations in the South. Georgia organized a crop improvement association in 1945, and its members are increasing certified plant material of Coastal Bermuda.

Another new and apparently good hybrid has been named Suwanee. It is being distributed in Florida where it has certain advantages over Coastal Bermuda. It will give a larger yield of hay, and it appears to be more productive on poor soils, but will not stand as much cold or close grazing as Coastal Bermuda.

Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), an early introduction from Cuba and Central America, has several good points as a pasture grass in the South. It is perennial, leafy, and deep-rooted, spreads by short stolons, and grows well on sandy soils. When it is properly managed, it produces abundant seed, an important factor because seed of most grasses has been produced outside the Southeast or imported from foreign sources. But because it is not winter-hardy, its use has been limited mainly to Florida and the Gulf Coast area.

Scientists started intensive tests in 1936 on Bahia grass seed collected from different 'sources in an attempt to find more types good for controlling erosion. Collections were made by State and Federal workers in the field. Other material was obtained by introductions from plant explorers in Central and South America. In the cooperative work at Tifton, at least six types have been found in the material so far studied. This classification is based largely on growth habits, plant and genetic characters, and winter hardiness. The strains have been identified as Common, Paraguay, Pensacola, Wilmington, Wallace, and Tampa.

Common Bahia represents the type imported from Cuba, Central America, and South America. Because it is susceptible to winterkilling, it is at home mostly in Florida and southern Georgia. It has broader and tenderer leaves than the Paraguay, Wilmington, or Pensacola strains. The Paraguay strain is a smaller-growing type than common Bahia. The leaves are thicker, narrower, tougher, and darker green in color. It is more frost-resistant and can withstand lower temperatures than common Bahia. The strain was named Paraguay because it was developed from introductions made in 1937 from Paraguay. Since that time samples of Bahia grass seed, which proved to be the same type as Paraguay, were obtained from a grower near El Campo, Tex.

Pensacola Bahia was probably introduced from ballast dumped on land near the old Perdido Wharf at Pensacola, Fla. This strain differs from other strains in many respects, but, like Paraguay, it makes excellent pasture in the spring and early summer, although it becomes tough in late summer. It is an excellent seed producer, but the seed shatters readily and is difficult to save. Observations at Tifton indicate that Pensacola spreads more rapidly than other Bahias and tolerates frost a little better than Paraguay. The most striking genetic difference is in the number of chromosomes. The Pensacola strain has 20 pairs of chromosomes; other strains that were studied cytologically have 40 pairs.

Of the several strains collected by men in the Nursery Division of the Soil Conservation Service, Wilmington Bahia, collected near Wilmington, N. C., is the most winter-hardy. Other strains, but of less importance at this time, are the Wallace and Tampa Bahia.