The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-04-07
From the Cotton Planter and Soil.
BLUE GRASS CULTURE


DR.. Cloud, Dear Sir:--l avail M, self of tie
Earliest opportunity to give you my limited
leAperience, with that ol some of ny neigh.
hors. il the cultivation oi bine grasa, al le-
quesie,l in late number of The Cotton Pan,
ter and Suil.
NJ, irst experiment WAS made some ten or
twelve Years ago, On piece ai wood land,
some twenty acres in extent. with The under.
growth cleared nif The land was imperfect
tly pl0med, ond spwn with blue aud orchard
grasses, about me and hall bushels per acre.
The proportions mere, two IT blue sras. anl
one ol orchard grass. The seeds were cnyer-
led with brush. Time 0i sowing. early in
February. The original stand was imperfect,
aud esprcialiy IN The spots which were d,iest
IIishtest. aud least protected bv shade. t.
has. hnweyer. continued 10 improve 10 this
lprcs.nt time. when a large pnrtio, ol The area
Is we'll set with grass. aud aflnrds valuable
Ipastnragc. The pnrtons not having a stand
are taose mast expose. 10 the SUI and llle
ldeprtdations Of potry. nearest the houses.
The soil Is rich, tenacious, clayey, calca-
reaus lOan.
The second experiment wss made some
i've years agn, on piece Of land about The
same in extent and quality of snil with the
first, tw0 thirds nf il With shade trees, aud
The balance without. The shaded part II ih.s
has a luxUrious crnp ol grass an II, and ON the
nther no stand was obtained.
Last sprlng suwe,i thirty bushels Uf blue
aud oichard grass seeds, on a piece of rich
slough lands III the w0ois. without any pre-
paratlun. but CLEARING OF the surface VI the
land well. | llad been informed that this
methnd Was sometimes successfully pracliced
ia Kentucky. The seed rome up badly, but
whether because nf the late sowing aud the
dry weather which followed, nr Irnm not be.
ling covered, has not been decided. The re.
suit. however. has determined me hereafter
to snw earlier. and 10 puw the lani prspata.
trry to putting on the seed, when the land
and tie weather will permit. The seed should
be pat on the first nr secnnd week IL Febia.
airy. he fall is gon,l time lnr sowing. hut
II should be dune then by tip middle - DC
iuber at iartliest; when >own later, the yanng
giass is liable to gel Killed bs the winter
ireezes. September i the best tall month
for this work. Iherc are. hnwe,er. two b.
jeeiioiis 10 TALL sowing: nne j., that il is We.
ry busy period. and another that our weather
- often - tfy II that season, that seed suwn
as early as September may not get rain 10
bring thrm up brinIe u,embrr.
have ordered from Louisville lorty bush
els ~ blue aud orrhaii grass serh lnr spring
s"Mlng, and tarnit bushels Of clover. seed.
the latter ldr improving and. Nv opinion
long has bren thet nur hlack land plantations
should have every acre ~ their forest III grass
where il can be sucCe.siully grown.
HIa 4. % az . ham
: ON the black or lime laud, hui am convinced
lrum trials made III nv grove near Green bn-
ros gh, that grSssss mas be- successfully grns u
in the ssuls lanh, 10 a mellow cidyey loan,
, protected bv shade.
! Mr.. u. VI. Johnson of this place, very
: successful aud enterprising planter aud az
aimirabe manager, tnlurnis me that he hail
suwn some inriy ~ fit, atres II bark land
: IL tie woods. uhici, h-s been set 10 blue. o.
chatd aud herd, gias, Tor duzen years or
mnrc, aud lntni,hr. him valuable grazans Tor
stock " all kinds wthunt any prrcrpiiblr
deteTinratint
eol. VIM. Kerr. ai.o of Grcen,bnruagh. j.
smrcrssfullS craving The blue grass on black
slough lands with wmais.
Il Would seem to be legitimate ,lcluctinn
Iruin the abo,e iact., that in our hot drs eli.
mate. shade j. necessity fr the blue giass
a. well ~ many "tter ariihcil grassc.. and
tile slnugh., huiinms, deep still nplands al 0nr
cane brake aud lnnr suils, are tie nnsi iayOr.
able lncaiitir. lur lhrir grnwth.
r alr. Joltnsnn's experience satisfactorily
proves. thai these grassrs succeed we'll Ur
gapd black ldml ktuIls. At the same time
! II j. not pretended to be- advised That thr,,
grasses MA, be acknowledgement, cultivated u
all other sails. Sc. E,rn in England, ~,
" land 81 gfa>srs, where iva thirds ol the ata
/ bic area j. III mradnw. aud where every hiil
valley aud peak !, earprtr,l will, a tori u en-
li,ening ,erjnte, the, will tell you that III,
= Pua compressed anl the pua pratrusis tlarg,
' aud smail blue gtas-} rrIuurs rich. i ~
mnist soil. They are buth pinprrly mraduv
's grasses. but the knuNlcge. enterprise az,
Y energy ol the Angle. saxon. where Tie iniiuce
mrnt is strung enUugh. can exalt the vale,
aud hing ,lnwn the high places. reverse thri
: conditions ani adapt them TO new usrs an,
: purposes. There j. scarcely any mufr ,alu
ahlr purpose. lrt me say 10 conclusion, u,
winch the high mural aud intellectual quail
ties 81 our ruuntrymcn can be mute proit
e ably cxcrtyd. Than by rclurining cur asrlcul
y iurc, by snbsiiiulirg. % a large extent, u,
y use ani cultivation oi grasses lur the uuiseG
i. sal gtain and cotton culture.
4. Yours, truls, J.. GROOM.
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