The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-08-13
NEW SERIES. VOL. XVI.-NO. 4.


Ieoelnte, (EUcntCeUnd NActfrtUnS,l Is
gigantic grass somewhat resembling corn
in appearance, bat with broader and
longer leaves, and a soft, succulsnt stalk,
full Of sweet sap. It's habit Of growth
is also like the Pearl or Cst-tAil millet,
sending ont from q single seed, large
number of shoots or stalks. twill grow
from six to twelve feet in height with an
abundance of leaves, yielding an immense
quantity of valuable forage. II is peren-
nial and will allow of repeated cutting
and is doubtless destined, in the climate
of the Southern States, to become for
age plant of great value.
The american AgricuLturist; for Janu-
agy, gives an illustrated description of
this plant, seeds of it having been re-
ceived from Sir Joseph Hooker the Cura-
tor of the Royal Gardens at Kew, Eng
land, where it had been grown. to perfec-
tion under glass. A single seed produced
IL or nIOic scuits F.az.A-. G"a To six feet
high, but when fully developed it reaches
much larger growth. Reports from
several semi-tropical countries and colo
nies made to the Curator, state that it
has a wonderful power Of resisting the
effects of drouth, and the Agricsslts~ist
therefore recommends its trial in the
Southern States.
Professor Asa Gray, in the August
number of the Agriculturist, reports ad-
ditional facts which go to confirm the
earlier opinion of that valuable journal.
He says:
The habit ofAhrowing out youn& shoots is re-
markable, 60 or 80 rising 10 a height of or 9
feet Further north, al PalmerstOn, in the course
of five or six MONTHS the plant4 reached the
height of 12 TO IA feet, and the stems on one
plant numbered SO. The plants, after moving
down, grew again several feet in q few days.
The cattle delight in it in a fresh state; also
when dry. Undoubtedly there is not q more
prolific forage-plant known; but as it is essen
TALLY tropical in its habits, this luNurant growth
is found only in tropical and sub-trOpical Cli-
mates The chief drawback TO it's culture with
US will be that the rpening of the seed crop will
be problematcal early ffosts will kill the plant
To make the Teosinte most nseiul plant in
Texas and along our whole south h-western bOr-
der, the one thing needful is to- develop early
Towering varieties, so as 10 get some seed before
frost And this could be done without doubt, If
some one in Southern Texas or Florida would
set about it, What II has taken ages TO do in the
case of Indian Corn, in an unconscious way,
might be mainly done in human lifetime by
rightly-difected care and vigorous selection
Who is the man who is going 10 make millions
of blades of grass grow where none of any &C
count ever grew before
Judge r. b. Hilton, of this place, has
been experimenting with Teosinte, and
has raised specimens which seem to con-
firm fully the opinions of the Agric~I
turist. He planted the seed, (which was
procured from w. H. Carson, seedsman,
l25 Chambers street, New York; about
the same time as corn, in hiils four or five
feet apart each way. From a single hill
there have grown from % to IS stalks,
heavily laden with long, broad leaves
His cattle are 80 fond Of it in its green
state, that having once tasted it, they
broke down the fences to gain access to
it as it grew, and they leave all other
kinds of food to devour it greedily.
1t seems doubtful if the stalks, which
while green, are entirely consumed by
stock, can be cured successfully so as to
make dry fodder, or otherwise preserved
for winter use unless by the process of
ensilage, French method which has
recently been introduced lin some locali-
ties North; but there should be no diff
Guilty in curing the leaves after the man
ner of curing corn fodder. This Judge
Hilton will try, and will also ascertain if
the plant will seed well here, and we ex-
pect to give the results Of his experiment
at some future time. Meantime there
seems sufficient evidence of the usefulness
of the plant to warrant its introduction
as soiling plant, and we hope it will be
tested by others The immense quantity
of green food it will yield on small space
renders it peculiarly valuable to those
who live in towns and keep valuable
milch COWS.