The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1861-10-16
MEsQUIT GRASS.

l
This article appeared first in the old
Edgefield Advertiser a Communication.
We copy it at the request Of several plan-
ters 10 this nelghborhood.
81 am thoroughly convinced that grass
culture is destined to be the important branch
Of Southern agriculture, and from what
know Of Mesquit. | believe it best adapted
to our climate and soil of any grass yet in
troduced. II is perfectly astonishing 10 see
il growing here on every variety of soil, az
fording good grazing all the year. NY bro
ther has il in old field pine thickets, natural
forests. among rocks. and on branch bottoms
! have itgrowing on highland pond--where
failed TO raise corn--and on poor old sandy
land that would not produce four hundred
pounds seed cotton per acre. Mine grew
tall enough 70 cut with scythe this year
on the poorest land, and on tie pond waist
high and higher, yielding about four thou
sand pounds of hay per acre. No doubt,
some Of the best lands in this District would
yield three tons Of hay aud one bushel Of seed
per acre. and have every reason 10 believe
there is very little land in tue District too
poor for pretty good grazing.
La lhis neighborhond, there is not skep-
tic On the subject lett. The most ncredu.
lous. in,eterate lugy has been compelled 10
acknowledge the grass. II is very much to
be regretted that YOU did not yisit the Ridge
about tie FIRST Of June, when the Mesauit
was in lis prime. am also very sorry that
you struck your colors 10 Drs. Lee and
Cloud. before you saw. right here in old
Edgefield, demonstration Of the fact that
grass will DO. But even nov We could show
YOU something much better than crop grass.
We have really come to the conclusion down
here. that hereafter we shall know nothing of
poor stock Of any kind but shall revel in
the luxury of real fat beef, lat mutton, fat
pork. plenty Of milk. rich as cream. butter
yellow as gold, and chickens and eggs three
times i day-yes. chickens. too, tor they
are as fond Of aud thrive on Mesquit as
much as any Of the grazing animals. I
might add, also. that honey will be one Of
the delicacies 20 be greatly enhanced. as vast
swarms % bees are found on The flower 81
the Mesqui,. You see there will be no need
OF hunting pnssums N summer. and squirrel,
NAV run on I'LL powder gets cheap.
Bat let me tell you how TO FIX that lot
Break up the land nea,ly, then level with
harrow or something else. Then sow, broad.
cast, a peck Of seed 70 the acre, or more i
you wish, aud then brush with very Iight
brush. n your lot is not rich, make Il 50
with any kind af strung manure yuu can get
as il is probable manure pays better on
grass than aiher crops. II you wish to make
4 woods pasture, clear out the small under.
growth and burn with leaves and straw on
the land. and then prepare a. above.
Oh low. moist land, nr woods pasture,
would sow seed 10 September, but think
the hot sun might injlre the grass just com.
ing up in open. high dry land. il sown ton
earl, in the iall. The soanrr Il j. well set,
however. the better the grass for hay or
grsz'ng the FIRST year.
I believe lhat writers On ihs subject a.
gree that grass should not be pasinred on
the first year. Mine. hpae,er, was grazrd
pretty clnse last winter. and cannot saw
that il was much injured thereby. | intend
hereafter to keep stock Oh the lots ! expect
| 10 NOV.
suppose have said enough for the pres.
eni You will find that ,ou cannot make
any great mistake in sowing Mesqaii seed.
II YOU SOW more than peek per acre, Il
will 10 no harm. aud IL you should not break
Up The land or brush in the seed, they come
up aud the grass does well Indeed. Tex.
as correspondent Of the southern Cultivation
says there Is no need of any preparation oi
soil except the cutting dawn .. bushes.
Yet, certainly. where We expect 70 NOV hay.
the land should be ieyeied.