New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-12
All about Grass.

In the course of an address delivered by Solon
Robinson, before the Columbia County New York
Agricultural Society nSeptemberlast, he culmina-
ted on the grass question, in manner and form fol-
lowing;
Grass is king; it runs and governs this world,
IT is the very foundation Of all commerce. It is
the mostimportant crop ever grown upon the face
of the earth Without it the earth would be a
barren waste, and cotton gold and commerce all
dead, Gsass is the all in all to man.
No wonder then that he has always been con-
sidered wise man who said: He that hath
made two blades of grass to grow where only one
grew before is greater than he that hulldeth a
city, That it builds port Of commercial
storehousa for cotton-a place of deposit for gold
What is grass2 Have you ever thoughtM am
sure some of the younger portion of my aaulence
have not 1t is the shoes upon yenr feet-the hats
upon your heads-the coats upon your backs.
To-day, like the cattle in the field, yon diaed upon
gross; you will sup upon the same, and sleep upon
grass tonight. Did you eat beef, or mutton, or
bread for your dinner? What were they last
week, last MONTH last year? Nothing but grass,
Will you eat butter and cheese and milk f0r your
supper SomS of these were grass this morning
or yesterday. So rapid has been the chemical
work Of changing one substance into another, in
Natures labratory, that gou nave eaten grass
scarcely a day old. II mas not mad me same tlme
| for preparation that you gave it when cured for
hay. 1t You sleep tonight as every sensible
farmer will, upon bed of rye straw, you sleep
upon pure grass; for that and wheat, oats barley
and Indian corn, in botanical Classification are all
grass. Every WGoen garment you wear is but the
Concentration Of grass in the sleeps stomaehinto
wool. Those stout leather boots and shoes upon
your feet were growing last year upon the hill
sides, green as grass, and if you would not wish
10 be supposed equally green, you must consider
all these things. Consider that as growers of
grass, you are the most important class OF people
on earth, and arouse yourselves to sense of that
position, and feel degree ofprdein accordance
For ii is proud position for any mortal to &C.
it1la +p l7a4 4o1,a Of yufn tba whole
commerce and manufacturers of the world.
Without grass the world could not exist.
But for the green covering OF these iil-sldes
New York city would have remained as it was at
first, an island of rocks and sand, deep wales ana
high hills, salt marshes and muddy shores. Where
palaces stand the ducks would have been still
swimming, and the deer that lay down Quietly in
Central Park would have run wildly at the ap-
proach Of man, through the tangled jungle of
brakes and green briars Of desert Through
Fifth avenue there would not have rolled one un-
ceasing throng of carriages towards this great
city pleasure ground, for there would have been
no Fifth avenue, and all its appurtenances were
built of cotton; the palaces piles Of pork and
all those vehicles only vehicles Of atiuence grown
of commerce. | tell you they are gamblers
gains in gold, and that all this evidence of wealth
is grass-grass that perisheth; without it not one
of these purse proud people could have even
piece of bread and cheese to satisfy their hunger.
Withonti5 they might hoard their gold and buy
and " hold stocks for rise" but they could not
butter single slice Of bread.
You, farmers boy, in your visit to the city may
stand some day upon the footwalk Of that Fifth
avenue, or Broadway, and gazeup0n the living
stream flowing by, and wonder where it all came
from. You may stand and look with admiration
on what appears to you q vast accumulation of
wealth. You see before you splendid carriage,
horses with their trappings and drivers and beau
tfuI forms OF men and women. Let me lend you
my magic eye glasses. Now look again! What
do you see Z Grass; little else but--and endless
WhdFow OF grass, moving past your vision like a
a0WIng stream. You are in very sea Of grass
All else are mere bubbles of froth and drft-wood.
on AaYe before you an endless panorama of hay
cocks, windrows and wagon loads Of bay; grass
here, there and everywhere. You lift the glasses
a little and see horses look Again they have
turned to grass-hides, hOofs, hair flesh bone and
blood; only yesterday, Us it We're, iu the great
account of time, these were atl grass
These beautiful spirited animals came from the
farmers great factory. Figuratiyely speaking,
he puts grassln the hopper, and these horses are
jae result The leather of the harness, what is
q The skins Of die bullocks fed upon grass.
The carriage is of wood and iron, but it is still
srass, for without that the artisan could not have
lRed VINO wrought the ores and forest trees into |
his beautiful shape That driver is proud of his |
lgh-topped boots-boots made of grass. He |
nagines, perhaps, they were made from the hides |
i some millions of bullo6&s which have been
old on this same Fifth avenue. True, they were
ldes, hides were skin and skins were grass. Gaze
n, " youth, at the beauty of lovely faces that are
oating in this greatpanorama, these living things
I flesh and blood, these men, women and chill.
rem; but, in your admiration, pray you do not |
'Tget that all flesh is grass
You may go back now to your native hills, and |
ak proudly over your mountain pastures. You |
lay sing merrily to the music Of your moving ma |
hine-more merrily than you ever did before |
1r now you have learned to measure the value |
I the product Of your labor.