The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1869-05-20
Grass Culture in the South.


Wsshington) saws: "Ths greatest blum.
der committed by Eastern Virginia farm.
ers, is their neglscting TO raise hay--and
hay--wauy Of them. To rave fodder in
the usual way with hired labor, as re'
muoerative feed. is impossible Sooner
or later, all Southern farmers will see and
ackno wledge the "blunder" Of attempting
to pull by hand, cofu blades enough to
feed working stock, cows giving milk,
young cattle, and keep them in good
condition. Such fodder costs at least
Eve times more per 1000 lbs, thar to
raise a mixture Of orchard grass and clio,
yer hay, as recommended by Washington
to Virginia farmers. lie soxs a bushcl
OF orchard grass seed, and a gallon Of
clover seed on an acre with oats, 10
March--,be.ground manured and prop.
erly cultivated. As his instructive article
headed "Orchard Grass" will fill not
over page 10 the Southern Cultivator,
| hope TO see the article copied. He saws,
"orchard grsss will stand the invasion OF
broom straw, il you will practice little
patience, and no: suffer il to be eraxed
| upt;i 10 h~s forced sod. Then vop
can't hurt il, except with hogs or the
plow."
As additional evidence Of the teuacity
with which this grass holds the ground, I
may remark, that eighteen years ago,
when in charge Of the Agricultural De-
partment, at Washington. I seeded an
orchard with orchard grsss in the District
Of Columbia, on a f.ru bought for ex.
ps'imsntal purposes, which has yielded
good crops ever since, without re seeding,
as my son informs me, who lives on the
farm. Recently, while visiting my son, I
noticed a little sedgs in the grass, but not
enough TO injurs the hay. have raised
orchard grass with equal satisfaction in
Georgia, and feel that cannot render
Southern agriculture no better service
than to commend il TO the attentioa q
ait who would rejoice to zee our section
command a larger profit with le.s labor
on tte farm.
A few days since While il Knoxville,
saw farmers selling corn from Hat boats
sixty cents a bushel, and bay from
wagons at twenty 1--WE dollars a ton. A,
these prices, farmer receives sl.25 per
100 lbs. Of hay, and 1920 for los ID.
shslled corn Nov can raise 1000 10.
OF hay as easily as 100 pounds Of corn
while the hay will bring twelve times
more money than the corn, on my farm.
These facts Indicate very clearly the ex
cess Of corn culture 10 Tennessee, and the
deficiency Of grass culture. The South
ern mind clings TO traditional PRACTICES
and errors with force that nothing ap
parently can overcome. A single horse
will cut FIVE acres Of grass in DAY, yield
ing fifteen or twenty thousand pounds oi
good hay: worth from $50 to $2oo.-
Compare pulling fosds, bv ,.,v n.a,o.,
With this having operntioni I A singlt
horse will rake and pitch the hay on 6ve
acre. in lea, than a dsr. Labo, ..,;oo
machinery 1. more mead ID IN an, .,r;.,,
,ure than .nv,hino e,.s % .on,sr..,.
in part for the loss Of slaves. Mo,. farm
ss mus. ,a;ss s,... bo,.s. srd u,,s. \,
MANY will find working stock ,eo scare,
and biob for them n n,,chs.s tn.
correspondent OF The Cincinnati; Comme,
cial, who visited Mr.. Dickson, n,,n,,,;on
reports ina, within 40 f,esdmsn n,odocsi
lees cotton than 60 slaves, thew de.,,ovss
or iojursd working .oSk five fold NOR,
than when Mr.. n. owned the iaborer, a,
we'll rs the mules that titled his ground
This consumption Of live horse aesb i. 4
new and important agricultural fact.
To enb.nes tina n,;co =; ,,.. :, :,