Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

ton of the subject, for that condition Of
affairs cannot always continue; besides
many people here are going into more
extensive stoUkralsing, with pastures
and fine strains of animals, and these :,
of course, are making q study with g
view to deciding on the pasture grasses
best adapted to their needs.
There is abroad widespread impress
sion that the prevailing grass in Texas is
| the Texas blue grass, bOtanically known
as pOa arachnifeTa. Greats the pity
| that it is not more general here than at
| present, for it is really a fine grass, hav-
! ing very great value in being winter
| grass. Mr.. George II. Hogan Of Texas,
| says he regards it as the greatest boon
! for the Southern farmer yet discovered.
But there is really no marked boom on
| it no Texas-other Southern states are
! booming It more than this. If We had
no other good grasses we'd boom il 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 if is not
much Of summer grass, particularly
for dry regions, late in summer, where
and when it dries out badly.
Bulletin No. 5 of the Texas expert
ment station comes out strongly in favor
of buffalo grass, or curley mesquite
(buChlOe dactyloides) rs being Zone of
the best pasture and lawn grasses in the
South. - The mention goes on to state
that lit is not quite equal to bermuda
grass (cynodon dactylOn) in beauty of
color, as it fades towards fall and is
never of a deep green, but 1t makes
more yelvetY carpet of green, and Is far
less troublesome to eradicate, as it has no
joint, as Bermuda. 1t is not q heavy
feeder or drain on the soil, and can be
associated in lawns with shrubbery with
out smotherIng or stunning its growth.
''This grass, adds the bulletin,
"has been found native IN the black
land regions of Texas, where it thrives
best. AS It is quite easily killed and
controlled, it can be recommended to
those desiring grass and shrubbery both
in the same yard. 1t deserves more at
tention than is generally given it. 1t
seeds well, but is best propagated by
cuttings of the rooted runners. Plants
put out the last of February soon form q
thick and even carpet of Yerdure 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 10 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 carpeting the race tracks"
around the mountain heads, several hun
dred feet above the level of the prairie
below. This last mentioned fact con-
vinced us that it WIS well qualified to
withstand about any effect of drought.
We are satisfied that it would make a
fine pasture grass for almost any section
of Texas
Another grass highly spoken of in bull
letin No. S, as valuable pas tuTe grass
for Texas, is the paspalum pIatycaule of
bOtanists. IN most of the Southern
states east of the Mississippi river, It 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 last 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.
says it is deserving of much praise. at
forms a thick mating all over the sur
face of the plat, and is not affected in
the least by drought. A small plat of it
will soon form roots and seed enough to
plant considerable pasture. 1t grows
well on uplauds, but, like most
other grasses, does best on low lands;
makes quite tine lawn grass and needs
but little moving to keep il down. 1t
should be tried in the dryer regions of
Texas. -
Mr.. George H. Hogan, writing of this
grass TO the Southern Cultivator, SAYS he
''has never seen another grass that
comes as near being a true winter grass
while being absolutely summer grass. -
He considers it rival to the Texas blue
grass.
Carpet grass is an introduction, but
from whence no one appears TO know.
1t worked itself westward from South
Carolina, reaching the Mississippi river
not very many years ago. All over the
pine land coast belt of Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi it has retained
firm footing, gro wing along roads and in
abandoned old fields. The more stock
eat it off the better it seems to hold its
own. No other grass now known can
stand so much rough usage. Stock relish
II 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.