224 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 4. 



was then from four to eight inches long. Early 

 in the spring it had had a dead appearance, but at 

 this time it had become pretty well sprung up; 

 some old stubs were dead. Perhaps this situation 

 was one of the most, trying of any to be fbund. It 

 grew where ice made to a great thickness horn the 

 water spraying from the spring all the year. Mr. 

 Simpson has informed me since I took away one- 

 half of his turf of the ribbon grass, that it sprung 

 immediately up in the same place, and produced a 

 crop quite as good as before. Since his closer ob- 

 servations, he says he esteems the grass more 

 highly than at first. 



The manner in which this grass was planted in 

 the bog, was this. lie had a tuft of it growing 

 for ornament in his garden, in a very rich sod; 

 which he occasionally ploughed, and finding the 

 ribbon grass spread a little too far, he ploughed off 

 some of the roots, gathered them and threw them 

 into the bog; he (bund they took root, spread and 

 flourished as I have stated. I observed when get- 

 ting my grass, there were some low spots covered 

 with water, where the grass sprung up stronger and 

 larger, being apparently more in its element. — 

 Capt. Simpson's garden is of the richest soil among 

 us; yet it is evident that one rod of the bog will 

 produce as much as four in his garden. Immedi- 

 ately after getting home with my turf, I com- 

 menced chopping it up, taking care to divide the 

 lulls according to the stalks, leaving from one to 

 three in each piece, choppig them with a sharp 

 spade, into pieces, from one to four inches square, 

 setting out about 40 square rods, about two feet 

 apart, without any manure; and setting a few for 

 experiments in the middle furrow where the water 

 was constantly issuing nearly all the season. 

 None of them failed of living, and all have taken 

 root, shot out and spread considerably; some few 

 to meet each other. Those in a dead furrow ap- 

 pear every way as thrifty as those on the bed. I 

 had the curiosity to try the experiment by sticking 

 one stock of this grass without root in the mud, 

 where the water continued to issue: it appeared to 

 grow as well as those with the root; and shot out 

 with branches. This method of propagation is 

 more facile than from the root. 1 pressed several 

 tufts into holes in a bog where the water would 

 rise to the top of the tufs, (this is among fresh 

 grass,) here it shot out and appears in its element, 

 and will in all probability spread and drive away 

 all the other grasses. I also sunk some into what 

 is called a quagmire, where it is so soft as not to 

 bear a cat; here I sunk the tufs level with the wa- 

 ter; these have the appearance of being perfectly 

 in their element. All these I have lately surveyed 

 since our severe cold, and those in the wettest 

 places appear least effected. I set some of them 

 out on some of the most barren soil, under a forest 

 of white oaks, where nothing of consequence will 

 grow: they all live there, and will probably pro- 

 duce something, perhaps one ton to the acre; if it 

 will do this on very barren lands, it may be well 

 to cover them over with it. I have set it in my 

 front yard and in my garden, on warm soil of tol- 

 erable quality, bordering on common grass, in part 

 for ornament. A portion of this was manured and 

 hoed; here it is perceivable that the higher the cul- 

 ture the greater the product as it respects high 

 ground. It is demonstrated from my experiments, 

 and Capt. Simpson's discovery, that this grass is 

 truly amphibious. It will do well on high dry 



lands, and it will thrive in a bog or even in water. 

 I do not know how deep a water it will grow in, 

 but I presume it will grow in shoal, especially run- 

 ning water. Is it not evident that this grass 

 possesses very valuable properties, and must 

 prove superior to most other grasses? — Yes, for it 

 not only grows luxuriantly and in abundance in a 

 quagmire where nothing of any value has ever 

 been known to be produced before, but its roots are 

 of such a tough nature, that a sward is soon pro- 

 duced that will bear a cart and oxen to pass over 

 it. It has another good quality: — although the 

 circumstance of this grass not producing seed for 

 propagation, seems at first view to lessen its value 

 — yet when we consider the evils resulting from 

 many troublesome grasses that spread from seed, 

 and that no limits can beset them; we may, with 

 propriety, esteem it a virtue in this fast-rooted 

 •jrass, that limits, can be set to it, that our valua- 

 ble tillage ground may never be impeded with its 

 roots, and that our waste and unproductive bogs 

 may be easily changed to the most productive por- 

 tions of our farms. As to what Ribbon Grass will 

 do in pasture, I know nothing. I have my doubts 

 whether it will succeed, as I think it is not thick 

 and downy enough, to bear repeated trampling and 

 cropping close to the ground. It is possible, how- 

 ever, from its hardiness, wherever it has been 

 known by me, that it may endure the hardship of 

 being pastured; if so, I have a right to conclude 

 from all its other properties, that it will prove far 

 more valuable than any species of grass yet intro- 

 duced into culture (the gama not being fully 

 known,) and if any farmers at the North or South, 

 have waste bogs that are eye-sores within their en- 

 closures, let them try the experiment of the cul- 

 ture of this grass; it will not be costly, even if they 

 should not succeed. 



ABEENEGO ROBIJYSOJV, 



Of Portsmouth, N. II. 



From N. V. Jour, of Com. 

 BIOWING MACHINE. 



We have seen at the shop of Mr. Johnson, in 

 Cherry Street, a mowing machine, which we are 

 told is the first of the kind built in this country. 

 The cutting operation is performed by circular 

 knives fastened upon the periphery of a horizon- 

 tal wheel five feet in diameter. This wheel is sus- 

 pended upon a perpendicular iron shaft, which 

 hangs upon a lever, by which the knives are raised 

 or lowered at the pleasure of the driver to suit 

 any unevenness in the ground. The motion is 

 given by geering, connected with the wheels, on 

 which the "whole machine rests. The machine 

 will weigh a ton, and is moved by two horses. 

 Upon the horizontal wheel, and just within the 

 edge of the knives a tub of light wood, which has 

 the effect of carrying the mown grass into a swath. 

 We see not but that the thing will work well on 

 smooth land, but where there are rocks of much 

 unevenness it cannot. It is said to be capable of 

 mowing ten acres a day, and certainly, for the 

 mower, it is much easier to ride on this machine, 

 than to swing a common scythe. The machine 

 was invented in England, but the laborers there, 

 probably under the guide of some philanthropic 

 leader, made Avar upon it, and would never permit 

 it to be used in peace. 



