The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-06-22

letter from Kansas.

] Inc season WIFI uS uoo US0u Ou6
of the most favorable to crops of all
kinds. A few late frosts somewhat
diminished our crop Of apples, but
other fruits abound. In many places
the prairfes are I'D @ith native
strawberries.
A finer prospect for winter wheat,
Inever saw. 1 have seen, here in
Kansas. forty and a half bushels of
wheat at-measured, to the measured
acre; and 1 see crops this year, that
seem to be equal to, ifnot better
than that. There are no inferior
crops to be seen. Wheat is well
filed and ripening beautifully.
Harvest will commence within ten
days. Corn, oats and other crops
are fiourishing. The prices current
at AtchisOn vary but little from
those of Hllsboro as quoted in the
News of June 1st. The News is a !
regular visitor to our household.
Thanks !
A few items in regard to the ma
tive grasses of Kansas may not be
uninteresting to your readers.
The first to make its appearance
on the high prairie in the Spring, is
known by the name "Wild Oats"
so called from the appearance of
the head, which has some dozen
grains in it. Its height is about that
of the common oats; and it heads
and ripens about the time of winter
wheat. The kernel is longer than
a grain Of rye, a little heavier, and
equally as nutritious. 1t is enclosed
in a shell like the common oats,
and is attached to the plaCenta by a
sharp barbed point, having long
stiff beard at the other end of the
grain. The grain drops to the ground
soon after it is ripe, after which the
beautiful bright straw gives, for a
time, a golden tinge to the prairie.
! During the hard times,-'58 to '62
the frugal, industrious women
manufactured for their husbands
and boys, hats of this durable mate
rial. This valuable grass gives
early pasture in the spring and
although it sends up stem that
ripens in early summer, it throws
up from the root, long rich
blades that remain green till the
frost kills it in the fall.
Then there is the "crolJoot" or
"6luejoint," so named from. the
head, and color of the joints of the
stem. This, when it heads up, is
much taller than the wild oats
but it does not stem up every year,
owing to the choked, compact state
Of the sod.
If the sod is slightly broken, or
if the season is wet, it heads up
from four to six feet high. This,
like the first mentioned, is a very
sweet, nutritious grass, and is priced
very highly for pasture and hay.
A third variety of prairie grass
is called "red-top." It somewhat
resembles the domestic grass by that
name. The seed is much larger
and heavier and if cultivated,
would produce a much heavier
crop.
These three grasses compose the
substantial pasture and meadow of
Kansas. They are generally all
mingled together, and where they
are, there need be no fears Of the
quality of the land.
When they are not pastured
down, they will produce from a ton
to two tons per acre. There are
many other varieties of prairie
grass here, some of which are mann
mouth and some are very diminu-
tive.
One tiny little variety grows on
Iy four to six inches high, and on
the tips of its blades comes a beau
tiful, delicate little flower, mostly
white, but sometimes purple.
These modest little flowers, with
multitudes of others of all color5,
among which are native phlox, vi
Diets, pinks, roses, prairie lilies, &C.,
more than a florist can name, give
to our prairieS a most cheerful pros
pect from the first Of May being
followed by a succession of varieties
week after week, and month after
month; till frost changes earth's
beautiful summer dress for its som
bre, brown, old winter garments.
Something over a hundred miles
west of this, the buffalo grass sets in.
This is a very fine grass, of a woolIy,
curly appearance and though it
does not grow over foot high, it
is Of excellent quality for pasture
, and when it dries in the fall it re-
tains its nutrition almost equal to
hay mOwn and cured in the usual
haying season. Stock lives well on
it during winter, when not covered
with snow.
1t But to close my remarks on the
1t Kansas grasses ; I would say with.
> out hesitation, that in this part Of
Kansas, the three varieties named
= are equal to any tame grass fol
8 pasture or hay. The cattle and