The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-11-06
Anoersoll yntellilgel1ter.
-. From, tie Charleston Courier.
"A New Forage Plant for the

!. :. From TIE Charleston Courier.
New Forage Plant for the
80: South.
3. =. Z have. received from various quarters
specimens of. plant resembling. clover,
which has sprung up in almost every part
e of this State, especially along the line OF.
railroads, and alsocain several parts OF
GEORGIA and North Carolina; and Ihave
sbeard of it as far w est as Eufala, ALA.
Tt.seems to be spreading very rapidly
through the whole of the Southern States.
A grass adapted to pasturage has long
been a desideratu,n In our Southern coun
try. This species, which Providence has
kindly sent us, seems to -be admirably
adapted to our present wants. Cattle are
said to be-very. fond 7of- it. 1t grows in
J. almost every kind of soil, $. and fourishes
under shade trees, and roots out the nut
grass, joint and Bermuda grasses 1t is
said, like clover, to salivate horses, but TO
<fatten other cattle.
It is represented as growing on, the
poorest kind or land. The top dies down
In winter, but the root is perennial. A
s friend, (Mr., James w. Watts, OF. Laurens
District, writes "There -are.in. this Vi
5 cinity dense pine thickets, under which
nothing ever was known to grow before,
q that would now rival in beauty the finest
lawns in the best cultivated yards" ]
have not time to quote all the favorable
representations made Of this grass.
For the name we are indebted to Mr..
$ Gray, of Boston, who had beenwritten to
sby gentleman of Aiken, signing himself
II. sAVS.> r., swhois, no doubt, Mr.. Henry
w. Ravencl, disting guished- Botanist,
who, in a printed circularsi issued from the
> Aiken Press, gives the name and descrips
lion of the plant. In what manner it
was. brought to this country, and the eau
ses of it's sudden andrapid spread through
,:out the land is as yet inexplicable. The
name Lespedeza expresses no character
istic of the, genus; it was given by Mi
) chaux in honor of Lespedez, O Governor
iof Florida. There are as many as seven
or eight species described as natives of our
Southern States. The English name l
have proposed is aJapan Lucerne, inass
much as it appears to'have more of the
characteristics of Lucerne than Of Clover
Iswould advise that planters in the
country where this grass exists, should
NOW it when it is ripe, during the present
month, and have the seeds for sale, and
distributed throughout our low country
3 have not seen itgrowing. Isend a dried
specimen, received through the kindness
of Mr. Watts Please let 1T remain at
your office to be inspected by ytbe planters.
;=5sss. -. =. J. B.
fessrs Editors: The interest you have
always. shown in giving prominence to
1.-The. vegetable resources of our Southern.
country, induces me to send you the orig
inal paper by Mr.. 81. W. Ravenel on the
esnew forage plant. the Lespede=a Strata.
He first proposed for it the name of Ja-
s pan Glover, to indicate its af6nities and
derivation. This was tho first printed ac-
count of it, and it may be added to the
paper recently published by you from
: your venerable and distinguished CORES
pondent, J.3B.
i have received specimens of the plant
from correspondents for examination, and
had myself collected it many years since
in; Fairfield District, S. G.
- Mr. Ravenel informs me that it is now
very much more widely ditfused in St.
Johns, Berkeley, than formerly, and that
it is eaten by hogs, as well as by other
animals. sIt is spread through their in
: strumentality, as its seeds are not winged
=; -, -. +. P. p.
Charleston, October p, 1867:
From the Aken Press.
This plant has occasioned much inquiry
-