90 
5. In Montgomery, white and red May. Walker is best, not so early, and 
therefore subject to rust. White May not so early as red, but a much prettier 
grain. In Newton, Mediterranean and Walker; Johnson, red May, Walker, and 
red and white Mediterranean, the latter yielding most when they succeed, but 
eight or ten days later; Benton, flint or May; Prairie, long bearded red, on 
account of the attacks of the small blackbird ; White county, May wheat; Con- 
way, little May; Drew, white, and red winter. The earliest ripening always 
preferred on account of insects, birds, or disease. Usual sowing is in October 
and November ; Newton and Madison in September, some as late as December, 
and in Prairie county, from October 15 to February 15. Harvest is in June 
generally, but commences in some counties by the middle of May. In all cases 
they sow broadcoast, generally on corn ground before the corn is removed, 
sometimes among the grass and weeds, and plough orharrowin. If the ground 
is first cultivated or ploughed, the grain is brushed in. Reporters generally 
state the yield at from five to thirty bushels, and agree that careful cultivation 
would greatly increase it. In Monroe and St. Francis little or no wheat is eul- 
tivated. 
6. Principal wild grasses are crab grass on the poor and nimble Will on 
the richerlands ; along rivers the cane shoots furnish pasture the year round; 
beside these, blue sedge on elevated timber lands, and winter grass on river lands 
in some counties; wild pea vines in the woods of Madison; blue grass, red top 
and timothy are natives in Benton county, and only need renewing every three 
or four years in Mississippi county ; barren grass on sandy lands and a peren- 
nial on the black lands of Clark county; clovers, timothy, rye, and oats grow 
wild in Prairie county, and prairie and other grasses are named by some. No 
special pastures are grown, but cattle are turned out on ranges till after harvest 
and grow fat. On cane lands they keep fat the whole year. In some counties 
from three to four months of foddering, with cotton seed and a little salt, is 
needed ; pine, cane, and other thickets are sufficient shelter. ‘Two acres of cot- 
ton seed will keep a cow well with wild pasture. Hence cost of keeping is 
merely nominal, and in many counties stock raising could be made profitable. 
7. Except in Benton little or no attention is given to fruit raising for profit, 
yet in all counties peaches and apples do well, in some very well in abundance 
and quality, save that acclimated apples must be raised for winter keeping. 
Figs do well in Clark, where peaches rarely fail, and apples not once in thirty 
years, some trees yielding seventy-five bushels each. Prairie county has several 
large nurseries, and peaches and pears are larger and better flavored than at the 
north. Jefferson reports the pear and peach as succeeding best, and the Ouchita 
grape (now cultivated in France) as originating there, wild. Chickasaw plums, 
very fine, grow wild in great abundance in Montgomery, White, and Drew. And 
several varieties of excellent wild grapes are abundant in Johnson, Union, Ben- 
ton, Drew, (which reports gooseberries and currants as not succeeding well,) 
and Jefferson. Cultivated sorts of grapes do not succeed well in Union, 
White, and Drew, as they are apt to mildew and rot. The want of enterprise and 
skill to raise fruit for market, and open facilities of transportation, alone prevent 
a number of counties from reaping profit from fruit cultivation. 
HORSE-HOEING WHEAT. 
With the improvement in farm machinery so advanced and progressive at the 
present time, it seems possible and practicable, notwithstanding the high price 
of labor, to try the experiment—if it need be called an experiment—of horse- 
hoeing our wheat. That it will increase the yield there is no doubt; and very 
little that it will improve the quality, destroy weeds, mitigate drought, promote 
