EXPERIMENTS WITH DEPARTMENT SEEDS. 493 



ctired a fine stand of oats, turnips, and clover, all of which grew finely until the 24th. 

 of December, when we had a " Norther" of such severity as to kill the oats, and in- 

 jure the turnips and other vegetation. The clover was not checked, is now in full 

 bloom, and presents a sightly appearance. I am well pleased with it. 



A sample of alfalfa in bloom, showing a very luxuriant growth, accom- 

 panied this letter. 

 H. Eyan, Caldwell, Burleson County, Texas, writes : 



California clover is giving good satisfaction in our county for winter pasture. We 

 have notliing, perhaps, as good. The Rescue grass was doing well in our county, but 

 the grasshoppers three or foxir years ago entirely destroyed it. 



Franklin Doswell, Esq., Jacksonport, Ark., writes, April 30, 1880 : 



In March, 1878, I received from the Agricultural Department at Washington a small 

 package of alfalfa seed. I sowed it about the 1st of April of that year in alluvial 

 soil with a clay subsoil, with a fertility of 40 bushels of corn to the acre. The soil 

 was well prepared by deep plowing and harrowing. During the first year the natural 

 grasses apparently choked out the alfalfa, it becoming of a pale-green color. The 

 winter of 1878-'79 was quite severe for this latitude, and the alfalfa was killed down 

 to the ground. As early as February, 1879, it made its appearance above the 

 ground, long before any of the natural grasses or weeds. In March, 1879, there was a 

 severe spcll'of weather, which did not alfect the alfalfa otherwise than to check its 

 growth. It put up ahead of the natural growth of the soil, and choked out the latter. 

 By the middle of May the alfalfa was ready for mowing, but, desiring to save the seed, 

 it was not mowed. It was mowed, however, twice during the summer without injury. 



The winter of 1879-80 was very mild for this climate. The alfalfa remained green 

 and fresh during the winter, and continued to grow during warm spells of weather. 

 By the 1st of April, 1880, it was ready for mowing, and was thereafter mowed, from 

 day to day, for soihng milch cows. At this date, April 30, I am mowing over it the 

 Becond time. It comes early, the growth is rapid, and the yield abundant. Horses, 

 cows, and hogs eat it with avidity. It is not more difficult to cure as hay than red 

 clover, and is equally as good. It is easily eradicated if desired. 



The chief difficulty to be apprehended in cultivating this crop is to secure a stand 

 during the first summer. It is probable that sowing early in the fall would obviate 

 that. 



Egy;pUan rice-corn. 

 J. H. Krancher, Millheim, Austin County, Texas, writes : 



The production of forage plants suited to the climate of the extreme Southern States 

 is of vital importance. Tlao great summer heat, its long duration, and the always re- 

 curring droughts are fatal to many plants on which farmers of more northern latitudes 

 rely for forage. Your department cannot better aid the southern farmer than by dis- 

 tributing suitable forage-plant seeds. With the exception of Bermuda grass, which 

 can oidy be considered a summer pasture grass, and the Johnson grass, which is only 

 suitable as a soiling plant on large stock farms, there is scarcely a perennial plant 

 suitable for forage that will withstand our summer heat. Hence, our main reliance 

 is on annuals, particularly the sorghum family. 



With a view to meeting the want above referred to, the department 

 has made a liberal distribution of seed of the rice or Egyptian corn, and 

 other varieties of sorghum. Alfalfa has also been introduced in many 

 sections where it has not^ heretofore been growD, and reports thus far 

 indicate its success. (See letter fcom Polk County, Texas.) 



"W. Bomer, of Helotes, Bexar County, Gfexas, reports as follows : 



Planted on the 27th of March in drUls 3 feet wide, dropping seed 15 inches apart, 

 two seeds in a hill. Intentionally this crop received no better cultivation than the 

 crop of Indian corn, which was two horse hoeings and one hand hoeing, no fertilizer 

 used nor required. The crop was cut on the 10th of .July, producing 10 bushels ; area 

 planted was one-fifth of an acre. This corn procbices more suckers tha)! Indian com. 

 Experimented on two rows by depriving them of the snckers ; no perceptible differ- 

 ence in the size or amount of the grain in the plants that Avere snckered from those that 

 were not; but the suckers each produced a head or ear of about a quarter size of that 

 produced by the main stalk. 



This cereal is very suitabhi to Western Texas ; it has one serious drawljack in the 

 weevil. Thirty days after thrashing the whole grain was full of weevil ; the birds also 



