380 



is edible for cattle. There are two Idnds, wliich I cannot distinguisli apart. This is 

 called " Capim de A)ignla," and the other " Capim fiiia," which latter is cultivated in 

 large pastures iu the provinces of Mines Geraes, and the cattle taken to Eio are fat- 

 tened on it principally. It bears burning well, whereas the Capim de Angola does not. 

 It is said that the Capim fina does not flower. I think this would be a very valuable 

 grass in the glades of Florida. 



We have not the means of accurately determining the species of this 

 panicum, but it is probably the F. jumentorum, Salz., and is probably 

 the same as the Guinea grass, or at least it is one of the grasses so 

 called, for unfortuuately the common names given to grasses, and often 

 to other plants, are very uncertain and unsatisfactory. 



Johnson grass. — Some account was given of this grass in the 

 monthly report for last December. We have recently received speci- 

 mens from Mr. John Haralson, Selma, Ala., requesting an analysis and 

 name. He says : 



I beg to call your attention to a grass that is grown in this section, and is known 

 here as the Johnson grass. It propagates from the seed and roots. It sends up a tall 

 stem, very tender till after seediug-time, with long and luxuriant blades, resembling 

 the blades of Chinese sugar-cane or chicken-corn. It puts out among the earliest 

 vegetation in spring, and soon yields a crop for mowing. On good laud it may be 

 mown half a dozen times in the year. It succeeds very well on any kind of soil, on ridge 

 or bottom lands, and, in the very fertile black or bottom lands, yields a rank and unsur- 

 passed crop in abundance. Stock of all kinds love it, and, where it grows, give the 

 preference to it over any other growth. There is a divided sentiment in reference to it 

 in this section, where people think of growing nothing else but cotton and corn ; but 

 all are agreed, so far as I know, that for a stock-growing country it is the best grass 

 known. Many persons hero ol)ject to it because of its great tenacity of life, matting 

 the soil with deep and spreading roots, like the cane-root, and the rapidity with which 

 it spreads itself over a farm when once set, and the difficulty of eradication, in case 

 one desired to subdue it for some other crop. This class of persons admit its virtues 

 as a forage-crop, such as I have mentioned. Others, again, contend that it may be con- 

 fined to one field, if it is fenced and not allowed to go to seed, and that by constant 

 pasturage and mowing, and turning the soil over in winter, to expose the roots to 

 frost, it may be subd.ued. Experiments iu this direction have not reached satisfactory 

 results as yet. It is i^roper to add that the name given it here is from the man who 

 brought it to this country many years ago, whose name was Johnson, and it is said to 

 be what is known as the Guinea grass. An examination of the books in reference to 

 that grass, however, does not convince me of its identity, or else that very little is 

 known by the writers on grasses of the Guinea grass. The seeds are abundant, some- 

 what like the chicken corn, but not so abundant on the stalk, and weigh about 35 

 pounds to the bushel. 



I have thought that the above statements in reference to this grass might prove of 

 interest to you. 



This grass, upon investigation, proves to be sorglmm halapense, closely 

 related to sorghum vulgare, which includes the broom-corn, Guinea corn, 

 &c. This is a perennial with strong, vigorous roots, and an abundance 

 of long and tolerably broad leaves. Dr. Chapman, in his " Botany of 

 the Southern States," mentions this species of sorghum as being some- 

 times cultivated under the name of Cuba grass. It is possible that it 

 is also called Guinea grass, but incorrectly, as that name belongs to the 

 Panicum before mentioned. 



THE OATS-CROP IN THE SOUTH. 



Reports to this Department make the impression that in most, if not 

 all, of the Southern States the oats-crop is wholly unprofitable. The 

 best seed sent there greatly degenerates, the complaint being that it is 

 more subject to mildew than any otlier crop. And while there is found 



