Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-28
THE
FARM AND GARDEN.
BERMUDA Pastures.

We have so much more land In Tennes-
see than we can cultivate from the lack of
labor and capital, and often because the
surface is too rocky, steep or too wet to
plow, that public attention is called to ths
best grasses for pastures both summer and
winter. For sumner grazing Bermuda is
one of the best if properly managed. TIE
agricultural correspondent of the Memphis
appeal, writing from Columbia in this
State, speaks of Bermuda as ''the best pas
ture grass in the summer time," and IS
"growing finely in West Tennessee" He
adds: "The old fogy notion that it cannot
be killed is exploded among intelligent faim
ers. 1t would be we'll, however, if con-
siderable portion of the uplands Of West
Tennessee were in Bermuda AID never
could be killed, for then the
land would be more valuable
We have had over twenty years experience
in the use Of BermUds, snd can write with
confidence of its advantages on the
farm. A prominent advantage Of this Pc
rennial grass is that it is very hardy, and
Southern plant that viii stand our hot dry
summer better than any European grass,
such as the winter grasses, blue grass, red
top, orchard-grsss, timothy, ost grass, fox
tail and the fescues. We have tried these
and several other English grasses by the
side of BermHds, and know the truth of
what we write. 1t is, however, mistake
to depend on any one plant for the best
pasture. Gov. Gilmer OF Lexington,
Ga, improved his Bermuda pasture by
raising clover with the Bermuda
In planting good many acres in Bermuda
for pasture, we have sown white clover
seed on some acres, red clover seed on 9TH
ers, and lucerne on still more ground. Luz
cerne sends its roots very deep into the sub
soil, and draws plant .ood lower than Ber-
muda. Red clover is biennial or lives but
two years, unless from shattered seed but
lucerne lives eight or ten years, somiimes
longer. A mixture of Bermuda and lucerne
hss given us the most satisfactory results
Unless the soil Is naturally calcsre us, it
should be lined to some extent for lucerne
or any clover, In fact blue grass, ard
al other grasses do best on limestone land.
Bermuda rarely forms any seed, and The
plant is propagated by cutting up lis nn-
merous runners, and covering them Liz tly
with board as one may cotton seed or
corn. TIE rows should not be more than
some thirty inches apart. Lucerne, clover
or any grass seed is sown broadcast to oc-
cupy the whole ground till the Bermuda
has time to grow, spread, and cover the
earth with firm turf. After William the
Norman, his officers and soldiers, had con
Quered England, and chivalry was in its
meridian splendor, it was said that gen.
tleman could be bred from the ranks in
three generations, but that it took three
hundred years to make good green
sward.
How little do We Of the Sammy South
know OF the luxury Of a dense carpet of
vigorous, enduring he.bage? 1t would
yield in lent every year more money than
will pay for the title to . our quilted
and denuded plantations In thirty Yeas
travel Ind observation in the planting States,
we have never seen or heard of Bermuda
pasture tina: failed; while Mr.. Thomas
Affle>k, Scotch farIner-ef character and
sciencc, 'aised in Mississippi more pounds
of good Bermuda hay on az scre in twelve
months than any one as ever grown in
Europe or America oil any other perennial
grass whatever. The mea ing of this is
that B amuda responds quickly and largely
TO m.nure, or natural fertility.
Iu vitality mas great value to recupsrate
deple ell soil ard yield the maximum of
nutrit cas- feed for farm sto;k under the
circcmsi2L ces Of the fed where it grows.
If the land is Ia n or naturally poor, some
thing that will form the blood Of short
horn, mule or pig, is not coming from sand,
clay or iron, Bermuda or no Bermuda.
But with little land plaster, bone dust,
wood ashes, or s.atIe manure, and often
with few bushels of lime and salt to the
acre, new-and profitable plantation may
be called In 0 existence. The plant-fcod in
an acre Of thick bermuda turf, lucerne or
clover sod, is worth about fifty dollars
to wear out in cur common
planting of cotton or tobacco.
These crops are net made from nothing;
and every farmer sh uld see where the
things come from that form every product
of his sIl. How much from air; how much
ON water; how much from decaying