Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-01-18
Farming at the South.


The surrender at Appomatox put an
end and for ever to the landed aris-
tocracy in the United States, and the
sooner the great landholders of the late
slaveholding States recognize the fact
the better, for then they will set their
minds to work to devise what is best to
be done under the circumstances.
Obviously in the absence of the pur-
chasers for their surplus lands, who will
come in time, the area of ploughed
land must be greatly reduced. What
then must be done with the remainder,
which must remain like an incubus
upon the unfortunate proprietor unless
made productive at least to the extent
of the demands of the tax collector?
One word will answer the query, and
that is PGstrage and this word natu-
rally leads us to the consideration of
forage and forage plants. In 1886, when
the writer was a planter in the dear old
Maryland Settlement in Mississippi,
there was grass growing there which,
next to the bitter COCO, was considered
the agricultural curse of the country.
1t grows spontaneously, and covered
the house Enclosures up to the very
SISpS l1hC a NO1f Ob Odl PCpg anu 1lhc
the velvet plant it throve all the better
for being trampled upon; it laughed at
the dryest droughts, and smiled in per-
email verdure under the hottest sun it
is better pasture grass than any in
New England, makes much closer
and tougher sod, and affords good bite
three hundred and sixty-fve days in
the year. We will not be surprised if
| this same grass, once considered curse,
should turn out blessing to the whole
of the cotton States. 1t is called
Bermuda grass. But there are other va
rieties of forage plants which are suited
to the Southern States, for instance the
alfalfa of Peru, and the lucerne. Of
the latter the writer saw thousands of
acres fourishing the whole year, under
the blazing sun of Egypt, and ready
every six weeks to furnish a heavy
swarth to the scythe. But this is not
all. There are six thousand known
varieties Of grasses, and surely among
the number are many peculiarly adapt
ed to the Southern soil and climate
We believe that domestic animals Of all
kinds can be raised in the South, at les:
expense than elswhere, if the day evel
comes when they can be protected from
worthless ours and marauding negroes
At u recent agricultural convention a
I Manchester, in New Hampshire, Mr.
Gould, of New York, delivered practi
cal address on the subject, pregnan
with valuable facts, a synopsis of which
we append, as published in the MaSso
chusettS Ploughman
: j. Stanton Gould, of New York, fol
) lowed upon the grasses and the man
agement of meadows and pastures. Tn
average nay crop of the country is 20
100000 tons, and, with the quantity an,
the labor of cutting and curing it, tn
; value was not less than $500,000,00(
l and if everybody would make tw
. blades grow where but one grew before
: the hay crop would be of vast and ur
told magnitude. The varieties of tn
grasses are 5000 il number. The
!; vary greatly in character and nutritiv
4 value. A judicious selection ought to
, made. The most useful grow best
I moist soils Select, therefore, MOS
: lands. medium soil is best that i
= one neither too wet nor too dry. Stron
= clay soils are good grass lands, but a
grasses ought to be suited to the sol
= on which they are to grow. Sow gre;
y variety of seeds. The capacity of IL
9 soil is greater with a great variety.
> many as LOO plants can be grown
the square foot. Select those that bio
= som at the same time and harvest ju
= i as they are coming into blossom. [
- not SOW timothy and clover together,
= rlany do. They mature at very differel
: periods. He would never plough |
y pastures, and would SOW on them grass
= that blossom at different times. Thong
: it better to pull up bushes just as '
= = do stumps.-TnJ, Field and Farm.