The Control of Bermuda Grass through the Use of Chlorates 1

In several portions of the southwest, Bermuda grass is about the only grass which can be satisfactorily grown on lawns. The limited rainfall and intense sunshine, along with other factors, perhaps tend to be more than the other lawn grasses can withstand. This being the case, and due to the nature of Bermuda grass, this grass may become a pest in gardens and shrubbery. Also, sometimes it gets a fast hold in cultivated fields and as cultivation tends to spread it, due to carrying parts of the grass to new locations, the grass may become a serious pest in such fields. The type of rainfall and its distribution in this section is such that during the cultivation period there is sufficient moisture for the loosened grass carried by the cultivator to take hold and grow. Many investigators recently have studied the control of weeds through the use of chemicals. In the summer of 1929, the writer laid off some plats of Bermuda grass for control studies. This grass had been mowed about the last week in May of that year. At that time the grass was not very tall and about all that was done in the mowing was that the early developed weeds were cut off and prevented from seeding. The plats were located in a rather low area which was quite fertile. In fact, the area had been left to grow to weeds and grass for some few years preceding the experiment. On July 15, 1929. 14 plats were laid off. Seven of these were on unmowed grass and seven on mowed grass. The mowed area was cut the day preceding the chemical application. To give an idea of the'