The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-02
GRASS, GRASS, MORE GRASS.

In looking over the landscape,
bright with the vivid hues of the
new and verdant spring, the eye
rests with delight upon the small,
solid blocks of clover, set like the
precious emerald, in a back ground
of less costly material; and appa-
rently, like the emerald, valued in
relation to its small proportions.
But, since clover, in it's petted Gull
ture, demonstrates such capacity
for development, why should it be
restricted to circumscribed admi-
ration as a vegetable gem and val
ued for its rarity, when in reality
it is one of those products which
does not lose in intrinsic worth by
universal diffusion.
And in all lands with clay sub
soil, and in all those where clay is
the main ingredient of the surface,
like much of the land in Orange
and West, it takes and fourishes
Ike a native, and acquires a kind
Of sporadic righteousness, spring
ing up year after year over grounds
trodden by cattle who have fed
upon its seed-laden heads, and thus
given invitation to the needless or
unobservant farmer to cherish a
gift he has so unwisely neglected.
Other grasses are equally prompt
in their response to anything like
care, and the fine patches Of orchard
grass, and rarely of other varieties
show thatthe pasturage of the Mid
die and Western section Of North
Carolina, if not the Eastern could
be made as refreshing to the eye, as
valuable to the dairy, az rich in its
contributions to the winter stock
of forage, as the Northern States
upon which such humiliating de-
pendence is placed. Because the
grasses r not indigenous to our
fields, because a cherished belief
has prevailed hat wet meadows
were alone practicable, the habit
has grown to be content with grain
crop alone as food producers for
man and beast, and to remain con-
tent fields-bare and brown, after
being culled to the last root and
blade by hungry cattle, condemned
after that to fierce struggle with
starvation and entering upon the
next year with scarce vitality
enough to heed the instructive call
to nibble the newly terminating
heritage.
Enough has been demonstrated
within the last few years to show
that a naked herbless soil, if it is
the normal condition of North Car
olina soil, is not a condition neces-
sarily or wisely to be perpetuated.
There are no obstacles to be over
come that are insuperable to intel
ligence and industry. On the con-
trary, nature seems to delight to
encourage any effort to reverse her
original decrease; for in no country
is Care or enterprise SO well and so
promptly rewarded. And it is very
remarkable that the influence of
successful example has been SO lit
tie, and that with the vigorous and
luxuriant examples of artificial
grass production that every where
appeal to the eye of the farmer.
every farmer has not become a con-
vert to the practice which proves to
hum the power to have fat cattle.
flowing diaries, overlooking barns,
and mountain piles Of manure.
Agriculture in the South will al.
ways remain in swaddling clothes
until it recognizes the need of the
resort (which will give it stalwart
vigor; and that resort must be TO
clover. and such grasses as have
moved their suitability to southern