Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-05-10

and it is notorious fact that there
is not place in the state that has
made a better crop or been cultivated
with more success, and it has been
done entirely with renters, share
hands and day laborers. Now they
have learned how to handle it, many
of the renters and share hands pre-
fer the Johnson grass land and will
take no other.
Planters of Jefferson county, who,
a few years ago, would hardly let
you ride your horse across their
places if they knew he had been fed
on Johnson grass, are today buying
Johnson grass hay to feed their plow
stock, and they say the per cent OF
corn and oats saved thereby over
feeding prairie hay is no small item.
Liverymen say the same thing when
they have fed it.
Many of the largest farmers of the
state of Texas that at one time we're
instrumental in having law passed
by the Texas legislature prohibiting
seed being sold in the state, now look
upon it as blessing in disguise, and
had it not been for Johnson grass
their stock would never have sur
vived the recent severe drouths in
portions of that great state. They well
come it now with open arms and
plaudits of praise.
Even the rich bottom lands of Ar
kansas, since cotton seed has obtain
ed a commercial value, are fast deteri-
Grating. Lands that twenty years ago
produced easily 5OO-pound bale of
cotton to the acre will not now pro-
duce more than half a bale and some
not that much. A continuous drain
of one kind of crop and no return of
anything to keep the land up must
of course produce this inevitable re-
suit sooner or later, and the observa
tions of the writer land he was a
cotton planter over thirty years ago.
is that land free from Johnson grass
exhausts much more rapidly tnan
when it mas a good set and the roots
go deep down and bring up the rich
mold and life-giving properties SO
essential to plant life, that lie beyond
hn Of r1O
If you will. by way of experiment,
hoe Off a little spot where Johnson
grass grows leaving the top ends of
the roots exposed and go back in an
hour or two, you will find the ground
wet as though water had been poured
around the root. Where does this
moisture come from? How deep in
the ground, clear to the ends of the |
roots. Cod in his wisdom and good |
ness, made Johnson grass (or what
ever name you choose to give it) a |
fertiliZing grass to bring moisture to
the surface. when aided by 'the man
with the hoe when the vapors of !
the sea are held back and the |
streams of the mountains are dried |
up.
One of the amusing things about |
Johnson grass is the prejudice some
people have against it, Johnson grass
requires, as every one knows that
knows anything about it, rich, deep.
alluvial soil. The writer has seen peo-
pie from the poor hill country when
offered Johnson grass hay for the
same price they would have to paw
for poor. weedy prairie hay shake
their heads and say. NO Johnson
grass for me-" and with erimace
drawl out. Il don't want ter git it in
my place. when the fact is Johnson |
grass has about as much contempt !
for that kind of land as it's owner
has for Johnson grass. You might
as we'll undertake to make hair grow
on a bald pate as Johnson grass on
most hill land.
With Johnson grass we'll set on
bottom or alluvial land. anywhere
south of Tennessee or central Arkan
sas. the proprietor if he only knew
it, can laugh at the Mckless negro as