Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-19
VIRGINIA GRASSES.
Varieties Along the Blue Ridge
Personal Items.

Personal Items.
ALTON. VA, May 1S.-(Special)-Th
rains for the past ten days have not been
without a corresponding good. and the
effect upon the grasses and. cereals has
been almost miraculous. Wheat, which
was thin for the time Of year, Is very
much improved. OF the grains. rye grown
on upland fields stood the extreme rigor
of the winter better than other cereals.
This is a grass country. Everywhere the
ave rests soothingly upon rounded knobs
and stretching fields Of Giving green"
Yet. how much waste has nature in her
vast store house! 1t Is astonishing that
Of about 500 kinds of grasses grown in
The United States only six are utilized
10 furnish food for man-corn, wheat, bar
ley, rice. oats and rye. These have reach
ed their present perfection through cul-
tivGuOn. The wheat and barley Of to-day
are much larger grains than the wheat
and barley found In ancient tombs. Like
methods would develop many of the
grasses that grow Wild into acceptable
foods. There was an expert from the
Agricultural Department hunting grasses
In this part Of the country last summer.
tie carried shears TO clip of the seed-tops
and bags 10 collect them In. The noun
tain people--who don't take to the eccep-
lricities Of genius thought him something
between one OF Pinkerton's men and
cOnJurer but he was true scientist, ana
was very enthusiastic over the number
and kinds OF grasses he found indigenous
TO our soil.
NOT EXCELLED.
He was especially interested In trying
10 find varieties OF grass that would
thrive in spite OF drought, and said inc
native species along the Blue Ridge were
not 10 be excelled. Among his specimens
were grass-sprouts gathered from old
sOds hundreds OF years old. These were
probably first rropagated from seeds
brought fiom England. and were obtained
from the door-yards and burial-places OF
DID homesteads in Albemarle
There are certain aromatic grasses here.
among them a kind OF lennon grass" /;
tour-grass. pepper-gr0ss. nut-grass, ana
Wild alfalfa are well known. The
bamboo our scientist claimed, was really
y grass The more plant stalks, as
with the tender willows have faint
sandal-wood odor. and are made into
pretty baskets by the negroes and sold
to summer b0arders OF the fbrous
grasses and sedges many are utilized by
country people for bag-strings and tying
up meats etc, In the grass-family Is a
species called the "skuuk's Shoe-sring,"
which grows on rank bottoms and is az
offensive as its name. IL is difficult 20
see Just for what purpose this cumbers
the ground. But. taken altogether, no
other order Of plant IS 50 indispensable
10 man as grass. II Il were wiped from
the face OF the earth be would not long
survive
The very unreasonable cool weather has
scorched the leaves and exposed fruit
trees, aud yeilowed tomato ana sweet
p0tato-plants.
The whole neighb0rhood has been sad
dened by the death OF Mrs. Susan
e. Williams. wife OF Dr. w w. Williams.
night.
MORTALITY AMONG NEGROES.
The mortality among the coIored people
u always ncticeably increased In spring.
There have been six deaths IN as many
days during the past week
Dr. J. y. Hawthorne returned from the
Raptlst association IN Washington We'd
nesday, and Is stopping with. his son. at
Mountain View"
Miss Maynee Smith. OF Lyndhurst. IL
Waiting at "Hedands."
Mrs. Ruche Heiifrich and sister. Miss
Minnie 0oodloe. are Ia Charlottesville
Mra. George Mckenzie has returned 10
the "Mounfain-Top" isotei
"Woodiawn." the estate Of the late Mrs.
Emily g. Coles. has been ordered by the
court 20 be sold "a July
Misses Bettie Lapscomb and linda Bar