The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1851-08-01
Front Southern Cultifator.
Grass Culture at the South, Mo. Ii.

Mr.. EDITOR: In my last communication said
would give you description of my various
grasses, which would satisfy You that have a
fair prospect of success, but since that, change
has come over fhe face of things which Is truly
d;scnuraeing. Why, sir, isis hard TO ind crop
grass even; and where it is seen, 1T looks more
like dusty hay, than the vigorous enemy TO our
crops, which usually survives so many hard
blows, and calls forth SO much labor and sweat.
What shall we say then of the exotics!. Why,
that they are alive is encouragement, and if they
grow, though but feebiy, it onght to stimulate
us to continue their. cultivation.
My land is a poor, grey. granite, soil, 'on
which, even when fresh, clover will not grow.
Ihad ten acres manured for wheat in ] lS48, and
sowed clover with the wheat, and twice during
the winter, on the wheat; being determined to
have a stand if possible When the wheat was
cut, the clover was but feeble and the weeds
! came up rank; these / moved and took of,
when the clover begaa to grow. In the winter
of 1870, had sixteen calves pasturlng all
the time, having only a little. wheat bran at
night. In March the calves were taken OIL.
| In June the clover was cut, and averaged 1900
lbs. good hay per acre. In September gath.
4 cred by hand % bushels seed in the hull, and
! then turned in and kept for six weeks 20 head
| of hogs, which improved rapidly. Now let US
sum up. Winter pasturage worth 90 cents to
each calf, So; $4,000 lbs. Hay, part sold for,
and the rest worth, 81 per hundred, $l20; two
! bushels of corn saved per day for six weeks,
! S54;ASI82, or upwards of $lS per acre, be-
sides seed enough to sow the like quantity OF
land. That lcas pay enough for some trouble.
| Ihave 45 acres on which Red-top was soWea;
now pretty well supplied also with native gras-
Il I L., M RI oil the. .fimp
since the first of March, so head Of cattle and
80 of sheep. 1t is rather closely cropped this
dry weather vet keeps them all in good order.
/ sowed land Of Timothy on last OF Sovem-
Der; it grew about as well as wheat sowed al
the same time, and is now alive, wanting to
+ head. Il was sowed too late to afford pastur-
age in winter or to make Hay now; yet gives
] the prospect of doing well next winter. can
say about the same of three acres OF u seWeo
in February. | have ten acres Of Musquit
sowed with oats early in December last; Inc
oats were sown with the expectation that they
would afford the young grass protection
when the frost should kill them, but CONTRARY
70 INV usual experience uphere) the oats stood
the cold as well as the grass, and being little
earlier in heading, has smothered the grass, SO
that It will not do we'll until the oats are cut.
Iwjll diiate a little upon this Musquit grass
A tbimble full was given to me by a friend, who
II received it by mail from Texas, some. eight
wears ago. For year or two it kept its owr
Sorl a bed in my garden, and proving congenia
10 my soil, i determined to propagate at Some
was put in the corner of a field of Red-top
+ which one winter used as a nursery for weak
l1v cattle. sThiscorner was always the favoFItt
i resort of the animals, but being neglected bri
ars came up, which afforded an opportunity o
testing its energies, for in the effort to seed j
prew up equal to aBroom-sedge, tab sPecl
mems breast high A part of this corner i
moist, and here the grass is best thus mncf
+ for its vitality, Now, lest some one may Tea
to catch Tartar, and geta second edition o
Bermuda, must state that sowed some witt
oats in the Spring of 1850, which came up, bu
was smothered by the oats and following crop
grass. Also last Spring after getting a cuttlns
of seed from an acre, | plowed up part OF Il
(which all died; the part left has been pasture'
ali Winter and Spring and holds It's owns
Il i will now say few words about the wa.
70 manage grass. And first, one should maxi
upthis mind as to what he wants, and then De rea
/ sonable in his expectations. Some people seen
J to expect to find a grass seed which, if throw
. ont in the field any how, will give good pas
ture all Winter, make Hay in the Spring, an
s manure the land for a crop ofcorn in the Sun
mer. Such folks will have to 60 to The 6rea
Salt Lake valley, the Mormon Paradise, an
l am not sure they win succeed there.
Now If d man wants Winter pasture, whic
will IN our climate afford full supply withou
: other feed. doubt whether he will get Will
9 out deyoting disproportionate quantity
land to that purpose; but If he wants to max
Hay enough il Summer to help out sma