FARMERS' REGISTER. 



517 



that Mr. Spratley has a pijT; sired by a Derkshiro, 

 and out o("a hair.Tersey big bone and Chinese sow, 

 tliat weighed 150 pounds at the same age. We 

 nli--o have a cross between the Berkshire and Chi- 

 nese, which arc very fine, fur superior to the genu- 

 ine Chinese, and, in the opinion of some, equal to 

 the Berkshire? themselves. 



I understand preparations are being made to 

 trapsmil to you the number of persons entragrd in 

 marling in this county, their success, &c. Our 

 crop of apple brandy is exceedingly short, and as 

 for peach, I believe there is none made at all ; if 

 there has been, I have neither seen nor heard ofit^. 



A FAllMER. 



We infer liiat the first question of our correspon- 

 dent is founded on the several recommendatory 

 notices of Kentucky blue grass, which have ap- 

 peared in the Farmers' Register, extracted from 

 western agricultural papers, and more ol' which 

 will follow in this number. The popular nomen- 

 clature ofgrasses is so confused and contradictory, 

 tiiat it is very uncertain what is meant by any 

 name used in a different region from our own. But 

 we believe that what is called '' blue grass,'" in 

 Kentucky and Tennessee, is not the abominable 

 weed which we know by that name on oar rich 

 nnd stiff corn fields and wheat fallows, (though a 

 valuable pasture grass) ; but is what is here called 

 greensward, and sometimes goose-grass. We 

 sliall he pleased to have our readers instructed in 

 this respect, by either of our subscribers, Judge 

 Kennedy of Tennessee, or Thomas B. Stevenson, 

 esq. of Kentucky, both of whom arc well informed 

 on the subjee'. 



There is eiiil another grass, better known in 

 lower Virginia under the name of blue grass. 

 This is a luxuriant and valual)le wet meadow 

 grass, having long broad leaves, in part tinged 

 with purple. 



tants of the lower country beyond the necessity 

 of generally resorting to it ; but the 'Fjelde' bonder 

 uses it more or less every year ; nor is there any 

 good reason for supposing it unwholesome, if well 

 prepared; but it is very costly. The value of the 

 tree, which is left to perish on its root, would buy 

 a sack of flour, if the Enu'lish market were open. 

 They starve, and we shiver in our wretched 

 dwellings, although each country has the means 

 of relieving the other with advantage to itself. — 



BAHK BREAD IX NOUWAY. 



From I.aing'.s Norway. 



Munv pines were standing with all their branch- 

 es dead, stripped of the bark to make bread, and 

 blanched by the weather, resen)bling while mar- 

 ble, — mere ghosis of trees. The bread is made 

 of the inner rind next to the wood, taken off in 

 flakes like a sheet of foolscap paper, and is steeped 

 or washed in warm water to clear ofl' its astringent 

 principle. It is then hung across a rope to dry 

 in the sun. and looks exactly like sheets of parch- 

 ment. When dry, it is pounded into small pieces, 

 mixed wiih corn, and ground into meal on the 

 hand-mill or quern. It is much more generally 

 used than I supposed. There are districis in 

 which the forests suffered very considerable dam- 

 aiie ill the years 1312 and 1314, when bad crops 

 and the war then ragin?, reduced many to bark 

 bread. 'l"he extended cultivation of the potato 

 eince that period has probably placed the inhabi- 



BLUK GRASS. 



Reply to inquiries concernino: the qualify and pre- 

 paration of blue grass lauds, time of sowing seed, etc. 



From tlie Soutliern Cultivator. 



Sir — Having liad my attention directed to the 

 inquiries of Dr. Do\)<ilass, of Hickman county, in 

 the last No. of the Cultivator, and having some 

 years of successftd experiment in the culture of 

 blue grass, I would respectfully communicate 

 such facts as I have in my possession, and tlie 

 conclusions they liave led mc to in regard to the 

 same. 



In February, 1838, I sowed 70 acres of wood- 

 land in blue grass seed, at the rate of £ bushel of 

 bfue crass seed and :1 timothy seed to the acre. 

 Previous to sowing, I cut down all the under<zrowlh 

 and smaller trees leaving the tops piled upon the 

 ground, ond raked up and lujrnt the leaves, clean. 

 When sown, I turned my stock in to trample it in; 

 which they did eflectually, in browsinir about after 

 I lie green brush. So soon as the seed began to 

 vegetate, I turned the stock off it, and suffered 

 nothing to run upon it till the <irass went to seed 

 again. From this sorting I obtained a fine stand 

 of grass. 



The same season, I sowed upon open ground, 

 with the same seed, and frilled to get any thing 

 like a good stand. I am satisfied th(t grass after 

 germination was killed by exposure to the summer 

 sun. 



In February, 18,S9, I sowed 40 acres in wood- 

 land prepared and managed in the same way; 

 with the exception that the quantiiies of timothy 

 and blue grass seed were etjual, and obtained a 

 j very excellent stand of grass. At the same time, 

 I I again sowed in open ground, outol'the same lot 

 of seed, and it again resulted in an emire (uilure. 

 My land is a fiir specimen of the rich limestone 

 soils o( Maury county, and is suih as is believed 

 best adapted to blue grass. From my own and 

 the experience of others, I am saiisfieil that liill 

 «^owing is not to be recommended in this climate. 

 Our long and late droughts in the Ifill ; which are 

 so fiequent, render it extremely difficult to get a 

 stand of grass (rom seed sown at that season. 



From the fiicts slated above, anti others I might 

 mention of a similar character. I am driven to the 

 conclusion that thinly timbered woodland, in this 

 latitude, is preferable for blue grass to open land, 

 on account of the greatercerlainty of a stand, with 

 this remark, however, that where a stand can he 

 obtained on open ground, the grass is doubtless 

 Rweetfrand more nutritious, oii account of the full 

 exposure to ihesiin. And I would here suggest 

 I it as my opinion, th:it timothy sown wiih blue 



