The Russellville Democrat., 1875-05-27
THE GRASSES.
The Basis of all Agricultural
 Prosperity.
PALARM, Ark, May 10, 1875.

J PALARM, Ark, May 10, 1875. l EDIToRs GAZETTE: Having reat
 several articles in your paper re
 gently on the subject of the grass
 es, and regarding them as tn,
 basis of all agricultural prosperi
 ty, respectfully ask the privilege
 of small space in your column.
 for few remarks based upon my
 own personal observation and ex perience.
 Many years ago had meadows
 of several different kinds of grass
 es at this place, including timothy
 clover, blue grass, Texas mesquite,
 etc, all of which grew luxuriantly,
 yielding abundant crops, and af-
 fording fine pasturage for stock
 but they were destroyed by the
 conquerers of the four years fight.
 The purpose and policy of the gov
 ernment established by the gov
 ernment aforesaid seemed to be plunder and not to protect the cit
 izen in his property; this being the case, like thousands of other farmers. your humble correspond ent did not regard it either pru- dent or profitable to embark in any system of culture requiring much outlay of money or muscle.
 All we dared to do was to SOW enough barley for our own sub sistence. Previous to tie present year l had ventured upon sowing eight or ten acres consisting of clover, orchard grass and red-top or herds grass; all these did well, and are still in a flourishing con- dition, promising an abundant harvest the present season. These grasses yielded fine crops of hay last summer, and pastured my calves and sheep through the past winter.
 By the way, speaking of calves and sheep, among those here re- ferred to, 1 have a Kentucky, short-horn bull seven months old, which will weigh five hundred pounds gross, and two yearling Cotswold Lincolnshire lambs from which I sheared twenty seven and a half pounds of wool, of the finest quality. The buck when grown, if as large as his sire, will weigh four hundred pounds, and yield a fleece of twenty pounds; and the eve will also be large. have also some half breed merino lambs, the fleece of which is superb.
 Upon the recent glorious tri- umph in our state, of popular rights over despotism and all of its concomitant evils, and the re- establishment of good government, based upon that most popular and sacred plank in the old democrat ic platform, that is, that "all well regulated governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed" I was so encour- aged that l have sown this year about twenty-five acres more in meadow, consisting for the most part of timothy and clover. Up to this time, these look healthy and vigorous. l expect to go for ward ill this direction each year, until large portion of the land l have heretofore planted in cotton is sown in the grasses herein men, toned.
 Any of the Arkansas river bot tom lands, not too sandy, will pro duce blue grass, clover and tim othy. The uplands will all pro- duce these grasses in abundance | by adding a little lime to their composition. Red top or herds grass and orchard grass will grow we'll upon our uplands without lime. Both of these latter will yield fair crops of hay, and or chard grass surpasses any other grass known in this climate for pasturage. It remains green, and grows throughout the entire win ter. A hard freeze will check it's growth a little, but little moder- ation of the weather brings it forth again with renewed vigor. It should always be pastured, or otherwise, it will grow in tussocks. It can be seen growing now on my farm over two feet in night ,fter being pastured late.
 Fear of annoying you, MT. Ed tor, prevents me from writing nore at the present upon the sub ect of this, the most valuable of Ill the grasses, especially to the of Arkansas where there s so little attention paid to the ,ulture of the grasses, but with 'our permission, l will resume his subject at some future time, convinced, as l am, of Its impor- ance to your agricultural readers. As matter of special interest to his class of readers, I send you herewith seven spears of blue grass, measuring from five feet, en and half inches, down to our feet, and some little less. Yours truly, B. F. DANLEY.
 An Act.