The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-08
THE BENEFITS
of the arrival of the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad.

leave the land in fine condition for seed ing to some of the winter grains mention ed. In case the field was not entirely cleared of the grass in the first years rotation the land could be sown to win ter rye for pasture and in the spring the rye plowed under, and the field again soWed to COW peas and sorghum This will certainly smother what few plants that may have lived over from the first efforts at it's destruction.
 Where there is a market for the crop, the second year the field may be planted to early potatoes and these followed by COW peas and sorghum. This crop will come off in time for fall seeding again to some of the winter grains, wheat, rye, barley, or, in some sections winter oats. But, the question is, why should any far mer want to kill out a field of this fine grass? Why not let it grow and cultivate and fertilize it and go on making fine hay from 1t? Some of the redeeming fea- lures of 1t is that it will hold the soil In it's place, and it Is not a hard crop on lands, though it should be fed to get the best results. It is a rank grower. It's leaves are long and broad, thus making a great amount of feed. One of the great est objections to it Is that seed matured along the highways and out of way places get scattered and come up In fields and crops where it Is not wanted and
  recommended for It's destruction.
 Bermuda Grass (cynodon DactyIon).
 Lands to be sown to Johnson grass should be made very fine, and the seed may be sown either In the spring or fall. In the southern states fall is the best time to SOW, while spring sowings succeed best in the northern states. Where the winter will permit of faill sowings, 1t would be well to SOW rye or barley with 1t at the rate of one bushel of rye or one to two bushels of barley. There has been an objection to this grass for hay from the fact that often 1t grows up rank and coarse. This comes from not having the soil or seed bed properly prepared fertilized and made fine before the seed are sown; and, again, often poor, cheap, trashy seed are used, and the result is a poor stand and coarse hay. Where the seed bed is properly pre- pared before sowing, and at least fifty pounds of pure, fresh seed are used, there will be no trouble about getting a dense crop of fine hay.
 Another good plan for managing it Is to cultivate it in the early spring by disc ing and sowing seed on any spots which may have become thin, at the same time using top dressing of some of the fer tilizers recommended in the preceding ar tices on Grasses and Clovers." While it will grow on almost any kind of soil, yet it, like all other grasses, thrives best on rich soils Our black lime lands seem to suit 1t best, yet it will grow on our poorest clay soils, and while bottom land seems to be the best for it, 1t will grow on many of our poor uplands and bind and hold these from washing. Give John son grass a chance and 1t will prove its value in the rotation by furnishing an abundance of fine feed which is relished by all the stock on the farm. The plan, so often put in practice, of paying men to kill Johnson grass that is worth from $10 to $20 per acre In order to grow from $4 to $S worth of cotton on the same grund should be abandoned.
 The section of our country best suited for Johnson grass includes all of Tennes- see, Alabama, Mississippi Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Indian Ter ritory, Southern Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois. Further information upon Johnson grass will be given upon request.
 This is another grass of which much has been written, and which meets with the same objection as Johnson grass, the fact of its tenacious habit of growth, being extremely hard to eradicate, spread ing rapidly and taking everything in it's path as it spreads. Like Johnson grass, this is one of its grandest features, for any grass that is of value as food for stock, which is a stayer, should be en- couraged. This grass, like others, how