The Florida agriculturist., 1885-02-11
St. Augustine Grass.

quiry respecting forage grasses, by new
ly-hedged Floridians who wish to keep
a family cow, and others seeking to inn
prove upon the cracker mode of raising
cattle.
Like the doughty warriors Of ancient
Greece, who were in the habit of consult
ing the Delphic oracle before setting out
on hostile incursion, these modern he-
roes, preferring the more peaceful tri-
umphs of PASTORAL life to the glories OF
the battlefield, apply for advice to the
oracle bestriding the three legged stool
in the agricultural department of the
Times Union office. And if the Judge
ment and experience of this modern tri-
pod only equalled its zeal, the responses
would doubtless be as infallible as were
those of the renowned and prophetic seat
of antiquity.
It's occupant, with a precipitation un-
usual in oracular utterances, actually
hastens to inform an anxious inquirer
from Fort Reid, that the st. Augustine
Grass (StenOtophruln) is eagerly sought
after by cattle; can scarcely be eXcelled
for winter feeding, and that by it all our
flat lands may be converted into superior
pastures and meadows.
Nearly twenty years of experiment
with various kinds of forage plants, both
native and foreign, lead me to believe
that its value as provender for cattle is
very small. A careless observer would
naturally suppose its inviting and succu-
lent appearance to be an indication of
valuable nutrient properties, ''but all is
not gold that glitters," and though flesh
is grass, some kinds of grass may be
very poorly adapted to the production of
bone and muscle. 1t is true that half
starved cattle will browse upon it more
or less during the cool months when
| green food is scarce and as, in like man
manner, they are often seen nipping the
tough blades of the saw palmetto, (iSere-
! e0dserrutdtG,) we may soon expect dis
QUESTION upon the value of this tenacious
and ubiquitous plant for winter pasture
. Lused to try to induce my mule,to liv,
upon the Augustine grass in winter, ol
account of the grave financial objections
attending continuous diet of North Riv-
er hay, but after a few mouthfuls, the
long-eared rascal would stick his nose
over the top of the stall, and proclaim
his displeasure by prolonged and un-
earthly howl, the meaning of which was
unmistakable. Plague take these old
; mules, whose wisdom increase with the
weight of years, until, in process OF time,
nothing but the gift of speech is needed
to place them above even the most learn
ed and venerable of our agricultural
writer's If man were going into the
goat business, one might venture on re-
commencing him to plant the grass in
question, as a pleasing variety to mo-
notonous diet of old boots and tin cans
but leave the reader to decide whether
it be assurance infatuation that would
fain persuade an innocent and confiding
public to rear their pet Jerseys and other
choice stock upon herbage refused by so
unfastidious quadruped as a Florida
mule.
But almost everything in this world
has it's use, and for establishing lawn,
or binding the sands of shelving beach
against the erosion encroachment of tide
or current, the StenOtdphrum is most
efficient. 1t will flourish on arid banks
far above standing water, as well as in
moist or springy place, and if neatly
clipped will thicken into lasting ever
green turf, soft and elastic to the feet,
and though not as fine as northern sod,
still much better than we have right to
expect in a soil so poor and under sun
so ardent as that of Florida. When no
longer WdHU6u III lS easily 6TdulCdUeQ Dy
hoe or plow, and yet, if left alone, it over
runs and smothers such pestilent and
worthless interlopers as the cane and
Joint grasses. Moreover, by reason of
it not roofing deeply, its spread among
fruit trees occasions less check and inju
ry to their progress and well-being than
do most other members of the gramina-
ceous Tube. Though seeding freely,
propagation is easiest by setting cut
tings in checks or hills at short intervals.
These quickly strike root, and the salient
runners creeping off in all directions, like
the rays of star, soon fill the interven-
ing spaces. Northern visitors to Florida
greatly miss for while the smooth shay
en- lawns, and cool, fresh grass plats to
which they have been accustomed, and
which are Intimately more grateful and
soothing to the eye than our bare and
glaring sands. When told that such in
stitutions cannot be had here, they try
to be reconciled to the inevitable, and it
may agreeably surprise many of them to
learn that by following the directions
just given, neat grass-plat is easily
made.
AS for the stock-breeders, the list OF
forage plants, natives and foreigners,
suited to their wants, being ample, they
can well afford without regret to discard
the Stenotaphruna.-- Up Ricer Correspond
DENT, IN Florida Dispatch.