The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-03

best grazing lands are on The table land
on top of the mountain. The valleys
are always fertile and better adapted to,
grain raising because less exposed to
,froet. ~ a. ~
Quality OF GRASSES
The peculisrSchsrscter OF the strata OF
shslss and conglomerstess forming the
hills, and of the loan forming the soil,
enables the grasses 10 grow in sns situa-
ton. Even the steepest and highest
hills are covered with tight sod, notwith-
standing the wash of the rains, or Inc
effects OF the dry weather. All the
grasses do we'll, but that which Is re-
gsrded as most valuable Is the naive
blue grass This grass grows spontane-
ously ana will last for an indefinite pc
Rod. Pastures are to be seen here one
hundred years old, with the original SOD
on them, never having~been broken or
sowed with grass seed, yet they are &C.
counted the best in the country. The old
settlers say that the blue grass pastures
grow better with age-thAt the tramplng
OF stock is necessary to improve them
Timothy mixes well with the blue grass,
and the mixture is regarded by many as
better than a crop exclusively OF one.
The theory is that different kinds OF
grasses are necessary to build
up all the parts of bullock. That is,
one kind OF grass will make bone, another
kind the sinews and tissues, and thus 1t
is held that where the different qualities
of grass are combined the cattle will
be better and more fully developed. L
am not prepared to say what Importance
is TO be attached to this theory, as the
farmers themselves differ about it. And
where doctors disagree, who is to kill the
patient In field where the two grasses
are mixed, as long Us it is grazed the
blue grass will predominate, but if con-
verted into meadow and moved the
timothy will take the lead; if converted
into pasture the blue grass will again
resume sway.
TIE clover, orchard and other well
known qualities of grass thrive well in
this section, but the native blue grass and
timothy are regarded with most favor.
Artificial fertilizers have not been
found necessary for keeping up the
grazing lands. The droppings OF the
cattle are sufficient for that purpose. The
sod becomes very tight and will last in
definitely, not only in pasture, but also
in meadow. have had meadows pointed
out to me which are older than the
owners yet have never been reset IN
timothy, and still produce abundantly.
When the sod has been broken once 1t
will never reset rs well again. The
virgin sod is always the best, therefore
it would never be desirable to convert
this region into grain growing section,
AS the natural value of the land would be
destroyed.
This is the best country in the world
for poor man. By that l mean a man
can live better on small capital than
anywhere else. And as solution of the
laber troubles In this country may be
found in removing the surplus lsborers
from the cities TO the country, l will
devote some space in my next letter to
SHOW that with very small capital an
emery etic laborer can provide himself
with comfortable homestead in short
time. 1t is not necessary to ago west" TO
do it, but MAJ of the unemployed Ia
b1reis in Wi llng to-day could find an
opening for respectable living for them-
selves and comfortable homes for their
families right here in the borders of our
own State, and that, too, with very
small outlay OF money.
The subject of grazing is so full OF in
terest and one OF such growing import.
ance that it would be impossible to speak
of all connected with it in one letter;
therefore, have not gone into details, as
l propose to do in subsequent commune
cations, but have confined myself to a
general introduction to the subject.
G.. Ii. NJ.