The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-06-30

QreSSeul
COLORADO GRASS.
Agricultural Editor of The Statesman
Noticing your article Of June Is, I
wish to ask of you whether or not,
and at what price. you can send me
some seed of the Colorado grass you
speak of? 1t is called or known here
by our experient station men as Texas
Millet (Panicum Texanum). Will you
ylease tell me about Texas blue grass
(Poa drachnifera). I am advised to
try it by man in A labama, who sells
seed. am told by Texan that it is
a tough wiry grass not much thought
of. l had made up my mind 10 try
it, but would be glad to hear from
you. 1t is pretty we'll thought of by
the North Carolina Experiment Sta
ton where the soil is suitable. From
what I can learn about the Colorado
grass or Texas millet, think it some
thing like our crab grass Of this state.
Do the Germans spoken of save any
alfalfa seed, can you get me some,
and atwhat price.
B. w. WATSON, Durant, Miss
In answer to this correspondent
and for the information of general
readers L have 10 state that 1 am not
in the seed business and have
none for sale. The Colorado
grass seed can be had from Arthur
Mays or G. j. Martin, seedmen, Aus
tin. The usual price is $3.50 per BUSH
ell, of twenty-five pounds. Texas blue
grass, like Bermuda, should be raised
from rootlets, not seed. The seed is of
light hairy character, which renders
it difficult of proper distribution to in
sure termination. The rootlets can be
had from G. 1. Hogan, Ennis, Tex {,
who is the gentleman that brought
the grass before the public. Ihaveno
personal experience with the grass be-
yond planting out 1000 sets this spring
to test it's value in this section. 1t is
reported by many who have tested it
in other parts of the state to be q
splendid winter grass. 1t is not a
"tough, wiry grass, not much thought
ot.n
1t is relative of the Kentucky blue
grass, and said to be equally valuable
for winter pasture. 1t is we'll worth
trying. The Colorado grass slightly
resembles crab grass (Panicum San
guinale), but produces more seed and
leaf and therefore more hay. They
are of similar habit and grow under
the same conditions as to time, soil
and treatment.
1 do not know that alfalfa seed is
saved by our farmers, but it can be
bought from any seedman in the coun-
try.-ED.
CROWFOOT GRASS.
The specimen of grass supplied by
g. l.. r. is crowfoot (Elensine Egyp
tiaca.) There is another variety OF
,crowfoot grass (Elensine Indica) very
similar in form, but of a different
habit. The former makes itself al
home in cultivated fields and yields 6
good hay, while the latter is only
found in waste places, in isolated
tufts, and therefore is not available
for hay.
TAKE DAY OFF.
This advice is applicable to all, tt
the man who loafs around the grocery
corner discussing politics and the
hardships of the downtrodden farmer
as we'll as the industrious, never.ease
up man who never runs short of a job
The Montana Stock Journal preache;
q sermon from this text which is full
of truth and easy of applica
ton. After enumeratiIg great
many reasons why a day
off should be taken it winds
up by saying: Take day off some
time and look over what you did Last
year. Count up the number of things
you are ashamed of, and fix things sc
that you will not make the same mis-
takes again. Look over the road you
have travelled, and see If you have
done anything you are any better fol
now.
See if there is anything that any
body else is better for. If neither you
nor anybody else is any better Off fol
your years. work, you had better lay
off this years operations on diffel
ent plan.
Take d " off and think what you
are going to do. There are whole
states and territories full of people
who are working away fourteen hours
a day without knowing whether they
want to quarry stone or be president
OF the United States. They haven't
any definite end in view; part of the
time they are going in one direction
and part of the time in another-usu
ally in the direction of the wind
Such people never get anywhere. Ii
is the man who has taken many day
off to think it over, and who knows
Just exactly what he is working
for, who has the largest power
while he lives and the tallest
gravestone when he dies. AL
this is particularly applicable
to work on the farm. Other men may
have their work planned for them
but the man who makes anything out
of his farm has to know himself what
he has done, what he is doing and
what he is going to do.
THAT GLORIOUS RAIN.
No,,o,, 1yaa rain mora timelv than