The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-02
The Grasses.


While the larger part of the world is
fighting grass number are striving to
propagate it. We are not sure but the
common Crab grass could be proftably
grown here on fallow land, but however
this be number of the improved grasses
could certainly be. While we sit idly
down and envy the dwellers in the Blue
grass region of Kentucky and the limo.
thy and Red clover fields Of the North,
as producers of hay, we have in our reach
number of grasses equally valuable
with those and which could be success.
fully grown here.
First among them is Alfalfa or Lu.
cerne, which is perennial, lasting twenty
or more years, and capable of being cut
three and four times season on rich
ground. This grass will be eat by horses
in preference to corn, for we have tried
it !; nor will it salivate stock, however
often cut, as Red Glover after its first
cutting does. The grass once set properly
and the land annually fertilized grows
luxuriantly and one acre would keep a
COW and several horses during the sum-
mer. We have a plat of sixty-fve by
thirty feet which We have cut twice
already and it is coming again. We dc.
sire annually to add to this until we get
an acre, if possible, for an acre well set
would be worth 5000 or more. 1t differs
with Red Glover in that the latter, after
two or three crops, dies out. 1t will
grow we'll here and Is found largely in
California and as far South as St. Angus
tine, Florida. 1t stands drouth we'll, as
the roots in porous land 60 eight or ten
feet, some say twenty feet deep. We
think every farmer should yearly try to
plant a small patch of Alfalfa. The
only trouble we experienced with it was
the first spring when we had to finger
out the weeds and grass. Since that it
has been able to take care of itself,
smothering out other grasses. We sowed
in drills about eleven or twelve inches
apart and when it grows up two feet
high it has the appearance OF being
broadcast. AS we cut it We generally
about rain SOW little fertilizer over
the part cut.
The next in order among valuable
grasses is Orchard Grass, which will grow
we'll on land of ordinary fertility and
either in orchards or groves. 1t does as
we'll or better under light shade as in
open fields. We have over two acres OF
this grass in our peach orchard and pas.
tured four COWS in it last year by stalking
them, both in the spring and during the
dry summer and fall. We have seen it
eat and tramped 80 close in places that
scarcely q vestige of grass could be seen,
but in few weeks after a rain it would
spring up and appear as thrifty as ever.
This spring and summer it has grown
we'll and after moving it we have pas
tured three COWS on it and it has never
lost its thrifty appearance. 1t remained
green all winter and we know of no
harder grass for pasturage than the
Orchard Grass. When at Pickens in the
spring we heard good farmer there
speak of it in equal terms of commen'
dation. Every farmer should seed sew
eral acres in this valuable grass.
Another valuable grass, which grows
we'll on low lands in this climate, is Red
Top or Herds grass. This grass becomes
mat after time and makes superior
hay. In its green state as we'll as in hay
it is much liked by stock of all kinds. 1t
will remain green or have a green ap.
pearance through the winter and is very
hardy and we'll adapted for pasturage. !,
These three grasses are perennial and
once seeded are good to stand for years.
We remember we sowed Red Clover
with our Orchard Grass and secured
fair stand. The second year it yielded
we'll, but this, the third year, nearly all
of it is dead. We would not recommend
Red Clover, as Lucerne is better feed
and is good for twenty years.
Another grass we'll adapted to this eli
mate, but which people dread, because
of the difficulty of getting rid of it, is
the Bermuda Grass. 1t makes 8 solid
mat and is fine for pasturage. We hear
General Hagood has near one hundred
acres in Bermuda Grass which pays q
handsome profit. Twenty acres we'll set
in this grass, we believe, would be worth
to any farmer $50 to Sl0O an acre: we
are not afraid of it and last year planted
two horse load of the roots, but as the
land was in oats we could not plow it in
and most of it died in the dry spell. We
have, however, spots living and it is
spreading fast. Those who dread it
might clear a rich valley surrounded by
woods and plant. 1t cant stand shade
and would never spread beyond the
cleared land. We have heard it could
be killed out by seeding three years in
oats, followed by peas, thus shading the
land. 1t is good fertilizer by reason of
its network of roots and an effectual pre-
yentative of the land washing. Its high
est value consists in the difficulty of de-
stroying it, for during the summer it
furnishes rich food for stock without labor
or attention. Those who are afraid of it
should let it alone, but for ourselves if
we had fifty acres in Bermuda Grass,
near or in town, it would bring it at 81 .5o
per month for each COW pastured at least
$3.50 per month during summer, and
persons owning milch COWS would lind
good pasturage at $1.50 per month the
Cheapest mode of feeding them. Or a
man could buy up colts and beef cattle
and make it profitable. With labor so
uncertain and expensive we must begin
to look to grasses. The late S. b. Max
well, though he disliked the grass, has
often told us that the best oats and corn
he ever grew were planted on Bermuda
Grass land. Though hard to break,
when once torn up and planted the grass
seemed not to ipjure the growing crop
and when laid by here comes again the
grass. Any of the three first named
grasses can be destroyed easily, and all
should endeavor to get q start in one OF
all of them. It could not fail to be
profitable. IHalhaNa Courier.
- The fame of Florida as the place TO
make fortunes in has reached London,
and colony of fifty families of fruit