The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-18
GRASSES OGR0W SOUTH
THE HAY CROP A NATURAL PROD
UCT OF THE FARMS.

! Inc hlnQS OF grasses InaG are 1nOlBS-
nous to Georgia and That Can be
Grown With tho Greatest Profit
The Paspalum the Most Nutritious
of All Grasses Next to Timothy-Hay
as an Article of Export.
! Among those who have studied the pos
sibilities of cultivating the indigenous
| grasses Of the South is Mr. Constantine
! Menelas, the well-known cotton exporter
81 Bay street. Mr.. Menelas has very pro-
nounced views on the subject, and he be
lieves that the South not only ought to
raise all the hay for its own use but it
should export it largely, as in his opinion it
is very profitable crop. He says
that Southern farmers, in the main,
exert themselves to kill the grasses out to
cultivate little corn, when the grass
is the more profitable crop Knowing that
Mr.. Menelas has been giving great deal of
attention to the subject a MORNING NEWS
| reporter asked him if he was willing to
| give the readers of the MORNING NEWS the
| benefit of his researches in hay from native
| grasses
Certainly, sir" he replied. at is a
very pleasing subject to me. | think the
South is the richest in all the resources that
| go to make a section independent, self-sup-
porting and prosperous. Here we can have
| ten months for utilizing the ground, and
when we compare the South with the bleak
| hills of the North, where, in spite of the
natural disadvantages, its communities
| nave become prosperous, why should we
not outstrip them, and the South become
| the wealthiest portion of the United States
| Economy said Mr.. Menelas, Tin all in
| bro, oh nf
| but more especially in agricultural pursuits,
is most essential to success; yet those who
are interested in agriculture, in the South
! particularly, appreciate that truth less,
always with some exceptions, of course.
AN EASILY GROWN CROP.
NOW, in this single item of feed for our
| stock is an illustration. We bring our hay
| from the North at an enormous expense,
when we could easily raise it at home, and
thus cease paying such heavy annual
| tributes to other States. or course many
will repeat the old story that we cannot
| raise good hay, and give some reasons that
have no foundation in fact. | believe most
| firmly that we can raise all the hay we need,
and my belief is based upon facts estab-
| llshed by experience at our plantation
| at Brookhaven, Miss, and upon similar
facts which have come under my observa-
ton in numerous places in Mississippi,
Louisiana, Alabama, and lately in this
State, and only from fifteen TO twenty
miles from Savannah.
Two weeks ago l accepted a kind invi-
tation to visit Mr.. r. Habersham Clay's
place in Bryan county, where, amid the
air of a genial and proverbial Southern
hospitality, | spent two days most delight
fully. Mr.. Clay has large plantation on
the OReechee river, lying beautifully, and
having fields suitable for rice and others
1 IL, A. a 4
| works his place with all the improved agri-
cultural implements, and upon the sound
basis of doing tntelligently and well what
ever he attempts to do. He noticed some
time since that one of his fields
of upland had Bermuda grass upon
it, and knowing its value as hay, he at
| once set to work with view of encouraging
it to take in all the field, which in short
time was covered with a rank and most
luxuriant growth of Bermuda. The next
year, the season being favorable, he had
three mowings on his field of five acres, and
saved, in all, fifteen tons of excellent hay,
which he sold at prices ranging from SIS TO
$40 per ton delivered at the depot. Last
year the season being very dry
he saved only one and one
| half tons to the acre at the same price.
but the sales were effected much easier the
second year, the parties buying it having
but one complaint, that the hay was too
| good, and the stock consumed little more
than they liked to give it.
| BERMUDA GRASS.
"That Bermuda is one Of the most valuable
grasses, on account of its heavy yield, of its
| being perennial and needs no seeding or
sowing every year, growing on all kinds of
soil, rich or light, is fact established be-
You'd question, and needs no further COM
ment.
Let us only look into its money value as a
crop. The five acres of Mr.. Clay's gave
| three tons the first year and one and half
tons per acre the second year, in all four
and half tons in two years, or two and a
| quarter tons at $50 per ton, equal TO $45
| If we deduct $10for expense of moving, cur
ing, baling and handling 1t leaves $35. But
say $780, as the net product on one acre.
| Now the value of hand is determined by the
net receipt from it. If we take the mini
mum, or $50 per acre, the proceeds would
represent capital of $500, yielding 10 per
cent. per annum. In other words, an acre
of land that produces $50, is worth to the
owner $500. Mr.. Clay, fully realizing the
value of that crop, is encouraging the Ber-
muda to take hold of fifty or sixty acres,
and will gradually increase its acreage"
But all farmers may not farm as intel
ligently as Mr. Clayr
ut may be argued" Mr.. Menelas replied,
"that all Southern farmers have not the
facilities or advantages possessed by Mr..
| Clay, and while this might be true, it is no
less true that every Southern farmer can
raise, if he only tries, all the hay he needs
for his stock, and save the amount he would
| have to pay others for it. 1t is to this point
especially that the MORNING News should
call the most serious attention of its farmer
readers all over the South. The principal
object of every farmer is to live with some
degree of prosperity, at his agricultural
| home, by first raising all he needs for the
care of man and animals, or stock, and
afterward other crops for sale. If he sue
ceeds in this, atfiuence will follow as a
matter Of course.
| A CROP FOR EXPORT.
"a very trustworthy authority informs
me that fine Bermuda hay, free from weeds,
is valued very highly in New York, and
that the Lorillards and others prefer pay
ing $40 per ton for Bermuda to S25 for
timothy hay. Bremember also to have read
that few bales of fine Bermuda hay had
been shipped t. New York last year from
| Meridian, Miss, as a sample shipment, ana
the reports received as to the value of the
hay far exceeded the most sanguine ex-
| pectations."
us the Bermuda the only profitable
native grassm
mot at all. In addition to the Bermuda,
Mr.. Clay raises the paspalum, misnamed in
some States water grass and here as
'crowfoot, | think. This being coarser
than Bermuda, he sells at SIS per ton. l