﻿188 
  AGRICULTUEE. 
  

  

  State. 
  Barley 
  I 
  have 
  only 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  coun- 
  

   ties. 
  In 
  Washington 
  County, 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  thrive 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  in 
  Kentucky. 
  

  

  A 
  class 
  of 
  grain-hearing 
  plants, 
  which 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  cultivated, 
  at 
  least 
  to 
  any 
  extent, 
  but 
  which 
  

   are 
  often 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  vacant 
  spaces 
  in 
  the 
  fields, 
  

   frequently, 
  from 
  a 
  chance 
  scattering 
  of 
  the 
  seed, 
  have 
  a 
  

   value 
  for 
  some 
  purposes 
  which 
  should 
  entitle 
  them 
  to 
  

   more 
  attention. 
  I 
  allude 
  to 
  the 
  Holcas 
  hicolor, 
  Guinea 
  

   Corn, 
  or 
  Chicken 
  Corn, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  variously 
  termed, 
  and 
  the 
  

   allied 
  species, 
  the 
  Broom 
  Corn, 
  and 
  another 
  kind 
  known 
  

   to 
  me 
  only 
  as 
  the 
  " 
  Hebron 
  Corn." 
  These 
  all 
  resemble 
  

   the 
  maize 
  in 
  the 
  stalk 
  and 
  blade, 
  growing 
  equally 
  as 
  

   high, 
  the 
  stem 
  more 
  slender 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  tougher 
  and 
  more 
  

   reedy 
  character. 
  The 
  grain 
  is 
  produced 
  on 
  large 
  heads, 
  

   on 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  the 
  stalks. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  two 
  species 
  are 
  too 
  common 
  and 
  well 
  known 
  

   to 
  require 
  further 
  description; 
  the 
  latter, 
  or 
  "Hebron 
  

   Corn," 
  grows 
  in 
  a 
  compact 
  and 
  heavy 
  cluster, 
  the 
  stalk 
  

   generally 
  curving 
  downward 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  

   head, 
  which 
  grows 
  to 
  maturity 
  in 
  an 
  inverted 
  position 
  ; 
  

   the 
  grains 
  in 
  each 
  head 
  are 
  very 
  numerous, 
  and 
  more 
  

   than 
  double 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  those 
  of 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  

   species. 
  

  

  These 
  all 
  afford 
  a 
  valuable 
  grain 
  for 
  young 
  poultry 
  ; 
  

   but 
  their 
  chief 
  value 
  consists 
  in 
  shading 
  and 
  fertilizing 
  

   the 
  land, 
  and 
  more 
  especially 
  for 
  stopping 
  washes 
  and 
  

   gulleys 
  in 
  the 
  fields, 
  which 
  is 
  done 
  very 
  effectually 
  by 
  

   the 
  matted 
  roots, 
  and 
  for 
  which 
  purpose 
  it 
  is 
  coming 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  many 
  planters 
  to 
  strew 
  the 
  seed 
  of 
  

   the 
  Guinea 
  corn 
  about 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  turn-rows 
  and 
  

   heads 
  of 
  hollows, 
  a 
  usage 
  much 
  to 
  be 
  commended. 
  

  

  Of 
  rice, 
  the 
  census 
  returns 
  give 
  about 
  2,700,000 
  

   pounds, 
  as 
  the 
  crop 
  of 
  Mississippi 
  in 
  1849. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  

  

  