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tricious, and is a favorite grass with all stock. On the
Western plains, it grows as far North as the British Pos.
sessions, being one of the chief grasses on which the Bus
falo feed. It is common on the dry Cretaceous hills in
and around the city of Austin, forming dense tuft- and
often a fine turf. It affords an excellent winter pasturage,
giving support during the winter to thousands of Buffa
loes on the western plains, and also thousands of horses,
cattle and sheep in Texas.
The grass alluded to by Dr. Walker, near the close of
his article, which springs up on rich cultivated lands, af
ter the crop is laid by, is the Panicum 'Jcxamnn, anew
species which I lately described in the Appendix to my
Preliminary Deport in the Geological and Agricultural
Survey of the State of Texas, 1866. This season it grew
hereon rich bottom land to the height of about four feet.
It makes an excellent hay. Here it often covers the
ground entirely, and will yield two or more tons to the
acre. It is the “ Rescue” grass of Sencx, at page GO of
the February number of the Southern Cultivator for this
year.
lam glad that the grasses are now receiving so much
attention from Southern farmers. While engaged in the
Geological Survey of Texas in 1860 and ’6l, I collected
most of the Texas species—among which were many un
described, which I described in the proceedings of the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 1862.
If Dr. Walker will send me his “ Wire Mesquite,” I think
I can send him its botanical name.
S. B. BUCKLEY.
Geological Bureau, Austin Texas, Feb. 8, 1867.
«!♦♦♦»■
What all TV Ia y and llewanl of F.ntcr])riso.
Our planters generally have heretofore been lavish in
theirspread of cottonseed, and the consequent employ
ment of much negro labor. During the last year, howev
er, circumstances compelled many individuals to economise
their planting area, negro labor and expenditures, and in
many instances the results have proved not more wonder
ful in their character, than indicative of the great value of.
improved and perfect farming.
As an illustration of this point it is related of one of our
Chancellors residing in Marlboro’ District, that being com
pelled to abandon planting cotton at large, bis witeluduc
ed him jocosely to allow her to appropriate a quarter of
anaeiv of their vegetable garden to cotton and togivc its
control to her. She immediately had it prepared, and the
soil was cultivated by the house domestics. What do our
renders supose was the result ? Notwithstanding an un
favorable season, and other drawbacks of a disheartened
character to the great mass of planters, that one quarter
oj an acre produced tune hundred and eighteen pounds of
cotton, or an average of between two and three bales per
Ihe lesson taught by this incident is that every resident
oil a farm, who will set apart one acre of ground break it
thoroughly, manure it richly, plant it in ‘ cotton, till it
well, and then count his profits, he will find that he has
made twice as much money as if he had followed the old and
careless course. Three hundred pounds of guano per acre
where the soil requires fatness, will prove the philosopher’s
stone of our prosperity. Let our housewives thus plant
enough cotton to keep them in pin money, make their
husbands fill the contend meat honse.and then be contented
to live a year or two simply comfortable, within their re
sources, patronizing our own people, ignoring fuss and
fashion, and they can snap their fingers at the hide For
tune untill the North wants us to go back in the" Union in
honor. —<St>. Carotin t an .
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.
[Continued from last Number.]
lilt ASSES FOR THE SOUTH.
BY REV. C. W. HOWARD, LATE ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR, KINGSTON, GEORGIA.
If.—Can Tito Artificial Grasses be Grown in
tlie Colton States.
A great many things are now done at the South which,
a few years since, were deemed impracticable. It was
supposed that winter fruits could not be raised at the
South. The reason was that the experiments were made
with trees suited to a Northern climate. It is now eonce
| ded that the Southern apples and pears for winter use
quite equal the Northern. It was supposed that wine
could not be made at the South, yet Southern wines can
not lie exceeded in this country. It was supposed that
malt, liquors could not be made at the South, yet beer of
excellent quality is made here. It was supposed that
cheese could not be made at the South, yet as good cheese
as any made at the North has been exhibited at oUr Fairs.
It was supposed that wool of the Saxon and merino sheep
would deteriorate in the climate of the South, j'etat the
World’s Fair in London, Tennessee wool took the prenium
overall competitors. We should never conclude that a
thing cannot be done because it has not been done.
It is said that the climate of the South will be an effec
tual barrier to the extensive growth of the artificial gras
ses. These grasses make up a large class. There are
several hundred of them —some belong to a cold climate,
and some to a warm climate, some requiring a damp soil,
and others a dry soil. There is as much difference in
their habits as there is in the habits and wants of fruit
trees. Because the fig and pomegranate will not grow in
Massachusetts, shall we conclude that no fruit trees of
any kind will grow there? And because a Northern
artificial grass will not grow in a Southern soil, shall we
conclude that no artificial grass will grow there?
The Southern climate has its advantages and disadvan
tages in grass culture. At the North the danger is that
the grass will be frozen out, at the South that it will be
burned out. Proper precautions must be taken in both
instances. A traveler passing through the Southern
States in July, and finding the grass parched under the
summer’s sun, may, on his reaching the North in the
same month, find their meadows looking green and re
freshing, and may conclude that grass culture succeeds in
the North, but is unsuited to the South. But suppose the
same traveler finds in the following March that the land
at the North is stiff’ frozen or covered with snow ; that the
cattle are all housed and eating costly food; and’ when he
reaches the South in the same month, finds the pastures
gieen and verdant, and the cattle luxuriating in new grass,
might he not with the same propriety conclude that the
North was a bad grass country, and the South a good one ?
The hot suns of the South are against the grass in the
summer, but they are very much in its favor in the winter.
Almost all the Northern grasses which will live at the
South change their habits and become winter grasses
They grow during the winter. It cannot be expected that
they should grow during the summer. which
the Almighty has made, possessing either animal or vege
table life, requires some period of repose. These grasses
which have so changed their habits as to grow during the
winter, must not be grazed during the summer. ° Nor
must they be closely grazed during the winter that their
loots will be left in a denuded state to encounter the hot sun
of the summer, which will kill them. They must be al
lowed to rest from their winter and spring labors under a
coyer of a portion of their own Vegetation.
ihe ability to use the artificial grasses during the winter
is a great advantage of the Southern climate. *V amounts
to letting the stock mow their owrr*hay, and is a saving of
t.se expense both of mowing and of expensive barns. The
cost of one Pennsylvania stone barn would lay down a
considerable Southern plantation in the winter* masses
The substitute in the summer is the crab grass which
springs as soon as the grain is cut, and affords a bite of