﻿198 
  AGRICULTUEE. 
  

  

  wholly 
  by 
  transplanting. 
  The 
  facility 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  

   extends 
  itself 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  runners, 
  which 
  trail 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  

   length 
  over 
  the 
  ground, 
  striking 
  root 
  at 
  every 
  joint, 
  from 
  

   which 
  spring 
  also 
  numerous 
  narrow 
  fine 
  blades, 
  forming 
  

   a 
  thick, 
  matted, 
  luxuriant 
  growth, 
  soon 
  spreads 
  it 
  over 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  space. 
  Indeed, 
  this 
  property, 
  its 
  tenacity 
  

   of 
  life, 
  and 
  the 
  depth 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  drives 
  its 
  rootlets, 
  

   render 
  it 
  a 
  terror 
  to 
  many 
  planters 
  almost 
  as 
  great 
  as 
  

   the 
  bitter 
  coco, 
  of 
  the 
  sugar 
  plantations 
  in 
  Louisiana. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  rather 
  troublesome 
  to 
  contend 
  with 
  

   in 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  a 
  corn 
  or 
  cotton 
  crop 
  on 
  ground 
  on 
  

   which 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  thoroughly 
  established 
  ; 
  but 
  with 
  

   proper 
  management 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  eradicated. 
  

  

  Shade 
  is 
  inimical 
  to 
  its 
  growth, 
  and 
  any 
  crop 
  that 
  will 
  

   cover 
  the 
  ground 
  very 
  densely 
  through 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  

   fall, 
  will 
  in 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  two 
  destroy 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  emphatically 
  the 
  best 
  grass 
  for 
  our 
  climate, 
  and 
  

   the 
  only 
  one 
  that 
  fully 
  withstands 
  the 
  scorching 
  heats 
  

   and 
  severe 
  droughts 
  of 
  our 
  summers. 
  

  

  Forming 
  a 
  dense 
  compact 
  sod, 
  it 
  is 
  destined 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  

   chief 
  agent 
  in 
  reclaiming 
  those 
  extensive 
  tracts 
  of 
  broken 
  

   lands 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  counties, 
  once 
  unsurpassed 
  for 
  fertility 
  

   and 
  productiveness, 
  but 
  which, 
  by 
  negligent 
  or 
  injudicious 
  

   cultivation, 
  have 
  become 
  defaced 
  with 
  unseemly 
  gulleys 
  

   and 
  gaping 
  ravines, 
  to 
  arrest 
  and 
  fill 
  up 
  which, 
  must 
  be 
  

   the 
  first 
  step 
  in 
  reclaiming 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  Natchez 
  grass, 
  a 
  native 
  which 
  derives 
  it 
  name 
  

   from 
  first 
  being 
  noticed 
  about 
  the 
  commons 
  of 
  that 
  city, 
  

   is 
  found 
  overspreading 
  the 
  bluff 
  lands 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  coun- 
  

   ties. 
  To 
  what 
  extent 
  it 
  has 
  spread 
  in 
  other 
  sections 
  of 
  

   the 
  State, 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  fully 
  prepared 
  to 
  say. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  coarse 
  

   luxuriant 
  grass, 
  growing 
  in 
  tufts 
  or 
  bunches, 
  and 
  bear- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  seed 
  in 
  a 
  head, 
  enveloped 
  in 
  a 
  black 
  powder, 
  or 
  

   smut, 
  which 
  renders 
  it 
  unsightly 
  and 
  disagreeable. 
  It 
  

  

  