238 GRASSES FOR THE SOUTH. 



great barns for six months of the year, requiring costly feed and 

 attention. 



" At the South, in each of the plantation States, we have three 

 different climates — that of the mountains, the interior, and the 

 coast. For live stock, the mountains have the advantage in 

 summer, the low country in winter, while the middle country 

 has a share of advantages and disadvantages of both without the 

 special excellencies or defects of either. As a general rule, a 

 clay soil is best suited to growing grass. Any land that will 

 bring good wheat will bring good clover, and any land that will 

 bring good oats will bring good grass. The lands most likely to 

 produce heavy crops of Timothy and herd's grass (red top) hay 

 are the rice lands of the coast. They are very rich and have 

 ample command of water. Do the rice planters know that the 

 grass lands of Lombardy, near Milan, where irrigation is prac- 

 ticed, rent for from §6 to 8100 per acre, while hay sells at ^10 

 per ton? A level surface of upland, without running water, 

 with an excess of sand, is the most unsuitable for a grass farm, 

 and of course for stock raising. 



''The writer has seen the various useful forage plants and grasses 

 tried from the mountains to the coast of Georgia. He has been 

 closely observing in regard to this important interest for more 

 than twenty years. As a conclusion he does not hesitate to say 

 if ground be made sufficiently rich and as well prepared, that if 

 judgment be exercised in sowing and in adaptation of species to 

 particular locality, and proper subsequent management be 

 observed, that so far as soil and climate be concerned the South 

 has unusual fitness for successful cultivation of the valuable 

 grasses. The grass of the South will have some difficulties to 

 contend with, but none so formidable as those which are incident 

 to cotton and wheat. Broom-sedge, and crab-grass in the stub- 

 ble, gives excellent summer pasture. Bermuda grass is excellent 



