The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-11-13

' oeSu rS"sces Wuo " P4W 0uB
very early. and cattle and horses are
fond Of II, although like clover, Il saii-
Yates them At ffst. have : lawn
with number Of mules and cs,tl.
feeding on h, bat like rye, they do mot
appear to deetfoy it.1 learn. sleo.
from M. Merritt, who formerly lived In
Aiken, but now on his farm I'm LexiuO.
ton District, that Il is spreading in that
neiehbofhood. though nos YET 10 suv
great qusa,i!y. That In Edgsdeld
District on the "Ridge," sad also on
the sa!uda River, h i n grsss abun>
dance, taking possession Of the old
fields, and even. driving of Tire broom
sedge that the farmers say their cows,
horses and hogs all eat Il and thrive ON
II, and that the dairies have sil I'm.
proved since n has become 40 common.
They mover no,ice,l /, bsfore i've
or six years ago. Mr.. Merritt on
late trip through Georgia, saw II along
the railroad rs high as Palmetto, above
Atlanta, but saw mono 90 he went OF
from the fairoad into the country.
As this plant is attracting mach %.
tention, and has become thoroughly
naturalized, is propsgsting itself rapid.
y, and may become valuabie scquisi
tiun as a substitute IN our Southern
country for the Red Clover, I wifi give
its history so far as known at present:
II is not described in any American
work on Botany. About sixteeu or
seventeen years ngo, I collected speci-
mems Of this plant in. the Parish Of
ST. Johns Berkeley. and also on tho
State Road, ten miles above Charles.
ton. l received, also, about the same
time, specimens from friend, collected
in Fairfield District, in this State. AZ
it was not described In any Of the
books, tho specimens we're labelled
=" Lespedeza," and placed in my herba.
ff3m. II attracted my attention again
last summer, from it's great abundance
in the vicinity Of Aiken-in the stree,s,
along the railroad track, and on the
common roads, and neighboring farms.
Having sent specimens to Dr.. Chap.
man, in Florida. author Of Flora of
the Southern States" be wrote as fol-
lows: "Lesredeza, l first received il
seven years ago, from Dr. Metsaner, Of
Mscon, Ca, rs a common weed about
the streets. On my return home last
fall, 1865, met with il al West Point,
on the Chattahooche thence il extend
ed along the road TO Columbus, and
down the river TO Eufais-in SONS
places covering the ground like car.
pet. 1t is evidently introduced"
About the same time I sent speci.
mems TO Professor Gray, Of Cambridge.
He writes: alt is L s. .edeza stria,a
Hooker and Arnot.. a native of Cbifia
and Japan. How the thing got down
our way is puzzle" This Is legu-
thinous plant with small, i,ifoliolate el.
ifptical ieaves--Legomes small, fat,
Ioundish, growing in the axils Of the
leaf. In poor soils il is generally pros-
trate OH the surface; on rich soiioit
grows 70 the height of two or three
feet, and becomes q luxurisnt uass Of
vegetation. The roo6 are perennisI,
but the tops are killed down in winter
the seeds ripen IN October. have seen
Ii Oh all kinds Of soil, from q poor,
damp, sandy soil, to rich, clay loan.
When cultivated, or grown on rich
soil, the stems are slender and succu-
lent enough to be cured as fiddler. I
cut some Of it, few days ago, and
erred II. II retained the leaVes. aud
had a fine green color when dry
Horses and mules eat il heartily. Ita
chief value will probably bs for psstur.
age, and for the improvement Of old
worn lands. Its rapid and universni
propagation shows II to be hardy
plant, which will do we'll on any soil,
but amply repaying care and manuring.
Though not true clover, il j. . nearly
allied plant; and as we want a name
which will distinguish il, and at the
same tnne indicate some Of its good
qualities, I have csiled il Japan Ciore-.
would be glad to receive any fur
ther information on tbs subjeei, from
those who have tried Il as food for ami.
malst or rs neats OF ihprosihg the
soil by ploughing in Of the greer sod
There is another lately introduced
plant, which has been spreading %
rapidly and generally about Augusta
and this place as TO attract attention,
viz. Icantleospcrmum -Xanthioides.-
1t belongs TO the Xdathiuns, or I'll. ep.
bur fHtaily Of plants, with small oval
seeds, armed &ith hooked prickles.-
This is 4 native Of Brazil, and waa
probably brought to this country. a.
Dr. Berckmahs suggests IN his report
10 the Augusta Agricultural Club. in
the bales Of wool imported by the fac
tories. II ID Abundant all over the
streets Of Aiken. even in the sandies.
coil, and where vehicles pass over it. I