The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-23
Garnet Grass.

This grass, an introduction dating no
great number of years back, goes by va
rious local names in addition to the one
given above, as Louisiana grass, old road
grass, poor mans grass, and so on, says
the New Orleans Times Democrat. Gar
pet grass" suggested by the carpet-like
appearance it gives to the ground where it
has secured a footing, especially if kept
trimmed down by stock, seems to be the
local name now most adopted, and doubt
less soon will be the one recognized
wherever the grass appears. Its botan-
zeal name is paspalum platycaule. Charles
ton, S. c., is claimed to be the point at
which it first appeared in this country.
From thence it gradually worked its
way westward, reaching the neigh
borhood of Mobile about TWEEN
ty-dve years ago. Only a few years have
elapsed since it reached Louisiana, whe re
the people gave it the name of Louis
lana grass" believing that it existed
nowhere else, and it is just now getting
into Texas, appearing sparsely along the
eastern border of the state. 1t usually
travels by following old roads, spreading
them with a carpet of green as it goes,
and deeply interesting stock that happens
to be travelling the same way.
In the above statement the writer IS
mistaken, as carpet grass grew luXuri-
antly in the vicinity of POnchatOula more
than twenty-five years ago. We are in
clined to the opinion that it is Indigenous
to Louisiana, for it has been known in the
western portion of the state under the
lsname of gazOn for more than fifty years.
A correspondent of the Southern Live
Stock Journal, writing of carpet grass,
tells US that, though comparatively
short growth, it furnishes a favorite
grazing for all kinds of stock. 1t will
grow anywhere that Texas blue grass
will succeed, and in many places where
it viii not; and 1T may be readily prop
agated from seed as well as by its roots
or runners.
The Mobile ALA Register says further
in regard to this valuable lawn and gra-
ling plant:
While not strictly winter grass, car
| pet grass makes a rather good winter
pasture, as, when nipped down by frost,
| 1t shoots up again in a few days and af-
| fords very good picking for stock; and
since our ''nipping'' frosts are usually
weeks apart in the lower south, it might
be rated as really winter grass with US.
We have known an acre of land upon
which it had obtained footing, in Bald
win county, to keep two calves through
the winter with comparatively little ad-
ditional feed.
Carpet grass forms a thick, dense sod,
and where it gets a start in a bermuda
grass patch will eventually kill out the
bermuda, provided stock have access to
the grounds and keep the grasses closely
trimmed. Unlike Bermuda grass, il is
not hard to get rid of-turn the sod over
with the pillow and it will die immedi-
ately.
For several winters we have noticed
our hogs following the old roads and
closely nipping the carpet grass with
1Tgh nragNF1 No
attempt at roofing, therefore we con-
cluded that the roots presented no at
fractions for them, but they GER
tainly much liked the young tender
grass just springing up, and went for
it exclusively, although there were
within their reach many other green
growths. such as hogs usually feed upon
under other circumstances. From all of
which we infer that carpet grass is highly
suited for winter hog pasture and that it
will eventually figure extensively on the
lands Of the hog-raiSer carrying on his
vocation in the lower section of the south
ern states. 1t will grow on almost any
character of land, and the more it is
eaten down the more rapidly 1t appears
to spread can be propagated by planting
bits of sod or if given a fair chance, will
propagate itself and take possession of
any pasture lands upon which stock are
allowed 70 run. 1t is peculiarly a south
ern grass, and therefore cannot be made
to succeed much above the lower tier Of
southern states.
Carpet Grass (Paspalum Platycaule) is
very highly recommended by parties in
Florida who have grown it or have seen
it growing Some go so far as TO say that
it is superior to bermuda grass If this
can be substantiated, it is certainly re-
markable grass. We should be glad to
hear from any Of our readers who have a
practical knowledge of this grass.
In another column we give an article on
the subject which we extract from the
New Orleans Times-DemOcrat. The
southern farmer has 50 many fine plants
at his disposal it is hard for him to decide
which to choose.