Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-07-25
From HE american Farmer.
CANA GRASS

Ahe 'oho"ng letter on the subject of CANA
grass, will be read with intense interest by all
our agricultural friends. We have carefully
examined the head of he grass which accom-
panied the letter,and find it beyond oil do,,b, ia
he tho irpsac uis Monosiaciyon of botanists.
! Elliott describes Il clearly, and in Loudon's
Encyelofl9dIa Off Plants the description is IL
| Iastrated 10y drawing which CORE ponds with
| the dead We have rec eved SO exactly tina l.
even were its botanical character not clearl 4,
| uehned. We should have no ROOM to doubt IFS
identity. We regret that our correspondent 10
the huuy OF preparing his communication has
! omitted 10 indicate his place OF re sidence-eyen
! the usual postmark is omitted on the envelope.
| We beg our correspondent 10 favor US with
! as mach Of the seed as he can spare, and
we Will take good care TO test its adaptation TO
our china e aud to give It a wide u dlslribu-
ton as the quantity he may send us will allow
| OF.
AR. SMrH;
In your valuable Farmer" Of the 2gth
Apr', find shor, q presume) edito rial
communication on the subject Of the =" CANA
grass" The one from the Mobile Reg isier"
! tor"ardei 10 that paper, the grass it alludes
Co having been procured by me from Doctor
Hardemau OF Missouri. MIR. w. d. of Penn
sylvana confines its value, presume be means
ITS ProdnctirentSS, To prdrtes, and low wet
ercUnds. InIs statement beng so polntedly
| 1T variance with my experience, induces me TO
state TO you that my plat OF this grass 10 OH
a perfect sandy pine land, on a strata of red
clay That this soil is found amongst the drieSi
known is well use Ttalned. Some cause nut
fairly asceriai0ed nasl have been unfdyorabe
10 this geniIeniap's trial OF this grass or mine
and his can"oi be the same. On my dry san
dy land nlanured AN perfectly certain thai
by cutting every fifteen days the production
would exceed three hundred thousand pounds
o. green grass per acre, during the months we
can cut II III tins climate. say from tile Ist' vi
May to the first OF November.
BY adding caIcafious matter to the soil am
equally &c, tam that il would be produced il
greater quantity, its native spot being a lime
stone land oil the knd usually called set OF rot
ten Limestone, species vi limestone ioVGd IN
all prairie lands,
Last year Was the most trying drought per
haps ever known tifo Igh this sec ION ot CouD.
ny. This gras. was nearly AS luxurIaut as The
previous season. When all surrounding vcgc-
laliJn was literally hunt II was green aud
HourI.hing. During the month oI July IL grew
forty three inches. We have Copious dews.
win the section ofprsiie country sweeping
from Georgia 20 Missouri am well acquainted,
aud their vegetable production8.espec,allyg ras-
ses. have never seen tins g,ass east vi the
Mississippi.
The seed stalks now about six feet high are
10 fulI seed, and bloom hanging from the seed
resembling the bloom Ga rye, but of d reddish
cas-. have mclosed you u 6iade ni eighteen
days growth, aud head ot the seed "a short
one) IN bloom. When cut al fifteen dayBit il
peculiaIiv suel aud delicate but presume not
sc nuirltye as when al lis luil height, which
apuears 10 be about four feet, and which il
rrar hes in about u mouih. have been par
-.
and tue adjoining states, aad bave never been
able 10 Gnd il amongst tnem-ahhough many
that resemble 1t. When the CANA grass is
made into nay il becomes OF a slngulary a.
eteeable hiyor-t is easily cured--tWeiUe
pounds Of green making I've pounds fhny.
VIII forward you tew OF the seed, aud
from them alone 1t Can readily be determined
httner Ibts grassis found IN tue old states. /
AN strongly OF the opinion II Is not, and that il
is one ot the native productions Of the south
west. How your climate may suit II do not
p.et+ nd ~ BAY, but Mts produces i, admirably
Il hes an astonishing root, moi only Tor pene-
Il rating he earth but ia dlameler. The fourth
year many OF the planters shew a foot of ten
inches in dameter at the su,lsce Of the GROUND.
From tue manner Ia which they grow, | am
satisfied, with Us, that the plants set at two
feet .part would fund The rools meeting in & or
years. and that the ground would bs COM
pletey occupied by them. Tins grass stands
up hand mely for eating with tue sickle or
Soy the, tho blade proceeding from the root al
most-and consequently would be sdmnable
TO, soiliog. It's slngularly nutr,uve qualities
are well auesed.
1 have been III the habit of placing the sigma
ture OF Agrieota" 10 all communications OF
an agricultural kind wuich bave made for
yeas back.
yeiy respectfully, your ohedent servant,
JAMES hAGJFtlN.