The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1901-06-20

and "whatever this is, or the name of
1t, 1t iills "a long.fclt want In this see
tion aud will, as an Irish liveryman
here says, he the salvation Of The
country. planted four acres Of II
the first year, fifteen acres last year,
and intended TO plaul 100 acres last
fall, but there was such a demand for
the seed that | planted only sixty
acrcs.'
| trust that Mr.. Cannon will par
don tho liberty take in quoting
from his letters, which aid in illus.
trating what has several times occur
ed iu the history Of the old establish
ed plants, which, after rc-christening
with new name, have been rccog-
nizcd as valuable. Luccrno Is one of
these old plants. 1t has been cultivat-
ed to a limited extent ia the south
under the name Of Luccrne for
scveuty.hvc years or more, but had
never been appreciated generally. In
TACT, 1t was known to but few on
sight. But under the nsme of
"Alfslfa" II has been re-intro duccd by
way of California and the west (from
Chile) aud is now firmly established
in California and in the scmi-arid
regions Of the west as the most val
unblc forage plant, by long odds,
ever introduced into that country.
Its naino aud fame have extended
even 10 the south, aud south
crn farmers ARE inquiring about
"Alinlia" and its cnlturc as il 1t were
until recently MI utter stranger.
Judge John l.. Hopkins, Of Atlanta,
was very successful in cultivating
Luccrnc on his dairy farm in Edgc-
wood more than twenty years ago,
aud II may bc thu, he il not even
now aware that it was Alfalfa. since
he has qui, dairyiug and gone back
to his original "wsllow."
So with "cat-tnil" millci. known
also A. "horsc" n,illct. that has been
grown for two or thrcc generations
In the south as soiling crop for
horses, mules and cattle. But II
seemed TO await the shrcwdncss of
Peter Henderson 20 bring it into
more general notice aud a much
greater popularity under the new
name, pearl nilIct." For some years
Peter Henderson, by contract. secured
his supply Of "cat-tail" millct seed by
the hundreds OF bushels from the la
ncnlcd DR.. W. u. Jones, of Burke
county, but he exploited the seed
under the name of"pcarl millet," and
not until he had made big money out
of the new name did he admit that
ii wns All "Old story undcr u new
nailc.' These last named plants,
luc,rnc, alias alfalfa, aud cat-iail mil
let alias pearl nillet, arc both valuable
plants and perhaps II new baptism
was what they needed IN order 10 in
troducc them into general favor.
hut 1t is really funny that cheat
should finally come to be regarded ms
II valuable grass when 1t has been 81
long looked upon ns nothing more
than vile pest Of The small grain
field, u plant of uncertain and nyster-
ious origin; Tor he II known that this il
the plant which many farmers believe
Is the offspring "f wheat, ar oats, OF
barley, under certain (or uncertainty
conditions.
Cheat, however, hns long been
known, If it has not been properly
appreciated, as II grass. Its bad quail.
lilies have been better known than IT..
good points. More than hity ycar'
ago cheat was exploited In a inosl
remarkable manner by a MIR. Willard
under the name Of "Willard's bro
mus" "MOnstrous prices were chnrg.
cd aud paid for it's seed, amounting
iu many caes to 81 per bushel, u
pledge being exacted that it should
not be allowed 10 20 to seed. Com
mittocs OF agricultural societies wer,
invited to examine aud rapport upoi
It," The above quotation IL fro,i