Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-06-29
For the True Democrat

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 MEssRs. EDrroRs: I am opposed to all humbugs, from big shanghai cocks, down to little Tom Hindman, and as an old sub scriber and reader of the True Democrat ask the use of a small space in your pa per to say so in my own blunt way.
 What you say in your issue of the Sth m respect to the grasses is true, the value of grass for hay can hardly be overrated. It is folly to pull the blades from the corn if any thing else can be substituted, and I am certain that crab grass, herds grass, musquit or timothy, are better and great deal cheaper. But as to the " Hungarian honey blade,' what of that? Well, l have no doubt but that it is a good kind of naa- let, much better than the old coarse millet. The reason for chasing it with humbnes. IS that not one half said in its praise is true. Does the blades of this millet con- tain Aoney3 If so it will pay to SOW it for the bees
 have tried the Hungarian grass or mil let, and there is no doubt in my mind about Its being the same as the wonderful " honey blade, ]" and l can tell its virtues and de- tectS in few words. It makes an excel. lent hay, stands drought well, and produces well under favorable circumstances but being an annual il must be sown every year and being very small and delicate when it first comes up, it is difficult thing to man. age 1t in such q manner as to give it the start of the weeds which inlest all lands more or less. It will perhaps yield two or three tons to the acre if you can obtain good stand. It should be sown on land planted last year in cotton, and plowed twice before the seed is sown. l have seen the Hungarian millet growing in Iowa and Illinois, where it grows well, but 1t was sown on rich prairie land, free or nearly so, from all kinds of weeds, and l do not believe it yielded one half of what is claim ed for it.
 According to my experience, the best way to get good meadow, is to choose a moist piece of land and sow in the Gall two three or four kinds of grass, say herds grass, musquit and timothy. The land should be well drained and puivcrized. It should also be free from roots. weeds anJ cIods. \ heavy roller run over the land alter sowing will1eave it smooth for the scythe and press the seed into the earth So that it will need no other covering.
 But began about humbugs; allow me to remind the public of few which hayo risen, hourished and fallen within few years. There has been the silk fever. the hen fever the Rel Fork fever and the Pike's Peak fever. We have been importuned to buy patent concave chun. which would make butter nice and clean from skinned milk, or muddy water, if that was scarce. in the short space of five minutes We have had patent washing machines. patent bee hives and patents of every kind, until we are tired, not one in fifty of which are worth the material of which they are com. posed. Then just think of the wonderful seeds winch were to work such wonderful changes in the agriculture of the whole country. Oregon peas turned out misera- ble weed, it for nothing. Japan peas are better ii they could be gathered, but they all fall out as soon as ripe, of course, are nearly worthless. How many kinds of corn we have been humbugged with I can not tell, but they are nearly all forgotten. Even Peabody's "prolifc'' which was to make every one rich so that he would have nothing to do but eat those enormous straw berries " invented" by the same Peabody. has had their day along with Chinese sugar cane, morus multicaulus and many other things.
 would not be understood as being op- posed to trying experiments with new kinds of seeds, but let us beware of humbuos To raise large crops we must have good land, we must cultivate well and we must work our heads as well as our hands. in other words, we must make good use of our judgment in every thing we do. En. closed l send you a few seeds of the Hnn. garian milIet, also stalk of this years, growth. If the seed for sale in Little Rock is different and better kind, 1 would like to have some oft. but would not try with. out guarantee.
 W heat in this county is mostly harvest ed in fine order, the crop is rather Iipbt but of fine quality.
 Yours truly, 1T
 P0pe county, June 4th