Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1886-11-11
Home and Farm.


GRASS.
Grass is the greatest need OF the
South. Without rotation of crops
there cannot be q successful agri-
culture, and without grass or
clover, there cannot be any success
full rotation in crops, nor, without
these and other feeding crops, can
there be any manure at all ade-
ouate to the necessities ofthe land.
The greatest advantages OF grass
and clover are the roots and stub
Bile of these crops, and the occa-
sional blowing under ofthe whole
growth, which furnishes q large
amount of fertilizing matter. This
most important branch of agrIcnl-
ture is almost unknown in the
Southern States, and in conse-
Quence of it, the yield of the crops
commonly grown, and which is ex-
ceedingly exhaustive, is very
meagre, and wholly Improbable
to the farmers. This is proved BY
the general average as shown by
the statistics of the Agricultural
Department, by which 1t is seen
that the yield of cotton is no more
than $50 pounds per acre, worth,
at the present price, less than 50,
while the yield of corn is no more
than five to seven bushels in the
majority of cases, and that ofwheat
is no more. This is the inevitable
result of the present system where
grass has no place at all. Grass,
however, hourishes as we'll in the
South as anywhere else, and some
indigenous varieties grow there TO
q perfection known in no other
part of the Union. We have re-
Gently passed through three of the
best Southern agricultural states,
and have especially noticed the
Bermuda grass, which is one of the
most alarming bugbears Of the cot
ton planter, and have noticed its
very great value for permanent
pasture and hay. This is the lawn
grass of the southern climate and
its running roots cause it to make
a dense sod which is green the
year round, except few weeks IN
the driest of the hot season of late
summer and early tall. 1t seems
impossible to kill the grass except
ing by blowing and cuItIvating,
because of its peculiar habit, which
gives 1t special value for field
growth. This grass yields large
quantity of hay and Is fine pastur-
age. AS much as four tons of hay
per aero has been made in an or
binary season at one cutting when
the grass has been put In the best
manner on good soil. This has
been stated repeatedly by the best
and most practical farmers of the
South, and can readily be believed
by one who observes Its growth
and habits with a practiced eye.
Glover, contrary to common be-
lief, grows luxuriantly in the South,
and we have recently seen large
fields of it which will easily make
two tons of hay per acre at the
first cutting. This is o most i'm
portant fact for Southern farmers,
who can easily figure up for them
selves, the value Of such a crop,
grown with such little labor. Hay
is now worth $40 a ton, and W.
have seen large piles of it in bales
at every distributing point on her
railroads, which have been brought
from northern markets for the use
of planters who are growing cotton
for the paltry sum of So to SIS per
acre, when they might realize $40
per acre for the first cutting of
clover. The blowing of the second
crop, or the manuring of the land
with the refuse from feeding the
first crop would easily quadruple
the yield of cotton. A farmer who
has dono this far three years past
has grown 700 pounds of ginned
cotton TO the acre, as the result of
this enlightened method of culture.
Orchard grass is also an excellent
variety for the South, and thous-
ands ofacres oft are grown special
ly for seed in Kentucky and parts
of Tennessee. This is one of the
best grasses and is valuable for
both hay and pasture. Kentucky
blue grass is another most valua-
Bile pasture grass and its running
roots soon Gil the soil and cover
the roots with q dense verdure,
which affords, when reserved for
the purpose, an excellent winter
pasturage for stock. These grass
es alone would enrich the South,
not only by their intrinsic value
for feeding, but by their culture
changing the present exhaustive
and wasteful system, would in
crease the other staple crops and
make Southern agriculture selfsus-
staining as regards fodder and
manure and productive of vast
amounts of wealth which is now
missed.-New York Times.