Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-01

extensive stockralsing, with pastures
and fine strains of animals, and these,
| of course, are making q study with q
view TO deciding on the pasture grasses
best adapted to their needs.
There is abroad q widespread impress
sion that the prevailing grass in Texas is
the Texas blue grass, botanically known
as poa arachnifers. Greats the pity
that it is not more general here than at
present, for it is really fine grass, hav-
ing very great value in being winter
grass. Mr.. George Fl. Hogan of Texas,
| says he regards it as the greatest boon
for the Southern farmer yet discovered.
But there is really no murked boom on
1t no Texas-otber Southern states are
booming It more than this. II we had
no other good grasses wee boom it of
course, but the probability exists that
We have other pasture grasses that are
better, all things considered. The trouble
with Texas blue grass is that it is not
much of summer grass, particularly
for dry regions, late in summer, where
and when it dries out badly.
Bulletin No. of the Texas expert
ment station comes out strongly in favor
of buffalo grass, or curley mesquite
(buohloe dactyloides), as being Zone of
the best pasture and lawn grasses in the
South. The mention goes on TO state
that sit is not quite equal to bermuda
grass (cynodon daotylon) in beauty of
color, as it fades towards fall and is
never of q deep green, but 1t makes
more velvety carpet of green, and IS far
less troublesome to eradicate, as it has no
underground rhiZomas that root at every
joint, as Bermuda. 1t is not q heavy
feeder or drain on the soil, and can be
associated in lawns with shrubbery with
out smotherlng or stunning its growth.
''This grass, adds the bulletin,
"has been found native In the black
land regions of Texas, where 1t thrives
best. AS 1t is quite easily killed and
controlled, it can be recommended to
those desiring grass and shTubbery both
in the same yard. It deserves more at
tention than is generally given it. 1t
seeds well, but is pest propagated by
cuttings of the rooted runners. Plants
put out the last of February soon form
thick and even carpet OF verdure over
the whole plat. -
While this grass may be found native
IN the black land regions, and may do
best there, as stated, it is not confined in
its indigenous range 20 the black lands.
We have seen it growing on almost every
character of Texas soil, excepting, per-
haps, the postoak sandy lands. All
along the mountains, between Austin
and San Antonio we have found 1t, often
completely Competing the Grace tracks,
around the mountain heads, several hun
dred feet above the level of the prairie
below. This last mentioned fact con-
vlnced us that it was well qualified to
withstand about any effect of drought.
We are satisfied that it would make q
fine pasture grass for almost any section
of Texas.
Another grass highly spoken of in bull
letin No. 8, as valuable pas ture grass
for Texas, is the paspalum platycaule OF
hotanists. In most of the Southern
states east of the Mississippi river, 1t is
known by the popular name of carpet
grass, name suggested by its disposition
to cover the ground like a carpet, espe-
cially where eaten off by stock. Later it
has been by some one named Louisiana
grass, but the Inst name is not the cor
rect one, for it was known as carpet
grass for ten years before it had reached
the state OF Louisiana. Bulletin No. s
says it is deserving of much praise. "It
forms q thick mattinR all over the sur
face of the pfHsaHd Al, not affected in
the least by 6ght. small plat of il, |
will soon feshTdors and seed enough to
plant co& erabls pasture. 1t grows
well on apfands, but, like most
other gras does best on low lands;
makes quit hue lawn grass and needs
but little ID pg to keep it down. 1t |
should be p the dryer regions of
Texas
Mr.. GeoreH logan. writing of this
grasAto the AthWn Cultivator. says he |
chg never eQ another grass that |
cona8 ms near Eei4g a true winter grass |
whit being absolutely summer grass.
6nsiders It rival to the Texas blue |
Il Csfpet grass is an introduction, but |
fronk hence no one appears to know. |
II wQ3sked itseif westward from South |
Cardiff. srhing the Mississippi river |
not very many years ago. All over the |
piue land coast belt of Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi it has retained a
firm footing, gro wing along roads and in |
abandoned old fields. The more stock |
eat it off tho better it seems to hold its
owl. No other grass now known can
stand so much rough usage. Stock relish |
1t well, though, in our opinion, in the
absence of chemical test, its per cent. of |
nutritive principles is considerably below
that of either Texas blue grass or curly |
mesquite.