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• gy virtue of its strong seeding habits and its vigor in forming sod, Kentucky <br />bluegrass is strikingly suitable for erosion control, especially within the nor- <br />thern part of the United Stales and in the western mountains. In the West, where <br />moisture and fertility conditions are satisfactory, Kentucky bluegrass will <br />effectively bind the soil of slopes, and the species is being used on a consider- <br />able scale in erosion control. Uhland found Kentucky bluegrass very effective <br />for checking erosion in Missouri. <br />Frequently this species has been used in reseeding depleted western range lands <br />and good results have been secured, especially on fertile limestone soils. Ini- <br />tial growth is slow, but ultimately good forage stands usually result on mountain <br />areas not too warm or too acid, where the annual precipitation averages over 20 <br />inches. Kentucky bluegrass becomes established by the second year and eventually <br />produces a sod and an abundance of nutritious forage. This grass is advisable <br />for planting with early starting species such as timothy, Italian ryegrass (Lo- <br />lium multiflorum), and clover. The chief retardents which limit its use are the <br />• high cos[ of seed and the slowness of the species in establishing a satisfactory <br />stand. However, its permanence, heavy production of nutritious forage, and abi- <br />lity to withstand severe trampling and grazing probably more than counterbalance <br />these disadvantages. <br />Kentucky bluegrass, a dense turf and sod forming plant, produces an abundance of <br />slender, creeping rootstocks and a profusion of deep fibrous roots which often <br />penetrate the soil to a depth of 3 to 4 feet. The numerous stalks (culms) grow <br />from 1 to 4 feet high. These are somewhat tufted, smooth, and round. The leaves <br />are mostly basal, smooth, soft, flat or folded, dark green, and succulent. The <br />open panicle is pyramid-shaped; the Lower branches longest, the upper ones suc- <br />cessively shorter toward the peak. <br />Grass-like <br />Carex geyeri <br />(Elk sedge) <br />. Elk sedge, sometimes knows as Geyer sedge, pine sedge, or unfortunately pinegras <br />and elkgrass, is a grasslike plan[ belonging Co [he sedge family (Cyperaceae). <br />2-80 <br />