﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  197 
  

  

  erect, 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  unlike 
  the 
  cotton 
  plant, 
  branching 
  

   somewhat 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way, 
  the 
  stalk 
  near 
  the 
  ground 
  

   being 
  at 
  least 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  After 
  attaining 
  the 
  

   height 
  of 
  about 
  three 
  feet, 
  it 
  bends 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  which 
  

   it 
  soon 
  covers 
  with 
  a 
  heavy 
  mat 
  of 
  tangled 
  branches 
  or 
  

   vines. 
  

  

  The 
  hull 
  or 
  jDod 
  is 
  perfectly 
  cylindrical, 
  nearly 
  

   straight, 
  and 
  not 
  exceeding 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  inches 
  in 
  

   length, 
  quite 
  black, 
  and 
  well 
  filled 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  green 
  

   pea, 
  resembling 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  size 
  the 
  ocra 
  seed. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  strength 
  of 
  the 
  stalk 
  or 
  vine, 
  the 
  

   ploughing 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  green 
  state 
  is 
  quite 
  impracticable. 
  

   It 
  returns, 
  however, 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  vegetable 
  matter 
  

   to 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  on 
  this 
  account 
  will 
  probably 
  be 
  

   found 
  to 
  excel 
  the 
  common 
  pea 
  vine. 
  The 
  pea 
  itself 
  

   seems 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  small 
  and 
  insignificant 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  any 
  

   value. 
  

  

  GRASSES. 
  

  

  Of 
  our 
  grasses, 
  no 
  attempt 
  will 
  be 
  made 
  here 
  to 
  give 
  

   even 
  a 
  catalogue. 
  Only 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  

   and 
  useful 
  will 
  be 
  noticed. 
  

  

  Foremost 
  of 
  these, 
  although 
  an 
  introduced 
  species, 
  

   stands 
  the 
  Bermuda. 
  It 
  is 
  rather 
  a 
  later 
  grass, 
  and 
  

   revels 
  in 
  the 
  hot, 
  dry 
  weather 
  of 
  midsummer, 
  when 
  

   most 
  of 
  our 
  other 
  grasses 
  fail. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  bear 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  heavy 
  cuttings, 
  and 
  produces 
  

   an 
  almost 
  incredible 
  quantity 
  of 
  delicate 
  nutritious 
  hay, 
  

   excelling, 
  it 
  is 
  believed, 
  in 
  this 
  particular, 
  any 
  other 
  

   grass. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  sugar 
  cane, 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  so 
  far 
  natural- 
  

   ized 
  as 
  to 
  perfect 
  its 
  seed, 
  and 
  is 
  therefore 
  propagated 
  

  

  