172 



G RA 



GRA 



the fall, and none in (he spring, 

 it would grow well for many years 

 in such soil. By close pasturing 

 in the fall, it is apt to be torn ou( 

 by the roots, and by cropping it 

 again in the spring, it suffers great 

 ly." Farmpr''s Assistant. 



4. The Herd-grass of the sou- 

 thern States, is rall(>d also White- 

 top, Foul Meadow Grass, and Red- 

 top. It is thus described in the 

 second American edition of Dr. 

 Willich's Domestic Encyclopaedia, 

 vol. II. p. 268. "Dr. Miihlenberg 

 thinks this grass is the Agrostis 

 stricta of Wildenow. It is par- 

 ticularly adapted to wet low 

 grounds. It mats and consolidates 

 the surface, continues many years, 

 excluding every other grass and all 

 weeds. Many worthless swampy 

 spots in the low parts of the State 

 of New-Jersey, have been render- 

 ed valuable grazing grounds by this 

 grass, loaded waggons having pas- 

 sed over places, which, two or 

 three years before sowing it, would 

 scarcely permit an animal to walk 

 through without sinking. It makes 

 excellent hay, and cattle are said 

 to prefer it to that made of either 

 clover or timothy. It is more suc- 

 culent than timothy, tht)ugh not so 

 coar«e. The same bulk of the hay 

 ofthisgrass will weigh one thirdmore 

 than that of timothy hay. Four 

 tons is a common crop from one 

 acre. It yields no second crop, 

 but affords excellent late and early 

 pasture. It was first brought to 

 New-Jersev from New- England by 

 the late William Foster, wlio resi- 

 ded near Mount Holly ; and intro- 

 duced into Pennsylvania about ten 

 or twelve years since.* 

 * There is a great confusion of names in 



The Red-top and White-top, are 

 only varieties of the ai)ov«' .-.jiccies 

 of grass. The latter is tiu' Uu^er 

 of the two. The red top i-. parti- 

 cularly valuable, as it will grow and 

 sod the first year on hanks, wiv.n 

 no other grass will thrive. Set an 

 essay on artificial grasses, by Col. 

 Taylor, of Virginia, republished in 

 the\Mass. Agr. Rep. vol.V. p, 291. 



5. Lucerne, Medicago Saliva. 

 By some experinu nts made b) the 

 Hon. Robert R. Lixingston. recor- 

 ded ill the Transactions of ti:c jlg- 

 ricidtitral Society of jVtzw York, it 

 appears that witli good cultivation, 

 aiid abundant manuring, from six 

 to nine tons of hay may be obtain- 

 ed from an acre of this g'ass in a 

 season. The ground must be high- 

 ly pulverized to insure a good crop. 

 Twenty pounds of seed are recjuir- 

 ed for an acre if sown in broad- 

 cast, six poui'ds if drilled. It an- 

 swers very well with red clover, 

 and is not injured by the cold or 

 the changes of our climate. 



Mr. L. advises as the result of 

 his experiments, 1. Never to sow 

 on ground that is not perfectly pul- 

 verized. 2. Not to sow till the 

 ground has acquired a degree of 

 warmth friendl) to vegetation, viz. 

 in May. 3. To sow with no crop 

 that will probably lodge. 4. If 

 sown with buik wheat, to apply no 

 gypsum or other manure, till the 

 buck-wheat is off. 5. When the 

 quantity sown is small, a' d the 

 farmer can afford to lose a crop, to 

 give the ground one turn in the au- 



thisparag;raph. The foul meadow grass is 

 not the Red-top of New-England. The for- 

 mer is a plant which flourishes only in a wet 

 soil — the latter one which will flourish in the 

 driest soils. 



