C 173 ] 



Observations on Guinea Gi'ass^ by S. Brown, M, D, of 

 Natchez, Mississippi Territory, 



Read, July 13, 1813. 



Six years ago, I saw one or two plants of the Gui- 

 nea grass, in the garden of M. Treme, near the city of 

 New- Orleans ; but as I was, at that time, in no way 

 concerned in agricultural pursuits, it attracted little 

 of my attention. Last autumn, I again met with it, 

 in great perfection, at Mr. Munson's, a few miles north 

 of Fort Adams. Although Mr. Munson had not more 

 than half a dozen of plants, he obligingly furnished me 

 with a pint of seed, which I shared with my friends, in 

 this territory, in Tennessee and Kentucky. Mr. Abner 

 Green of Adams county had, for two or three years, 

 cultivatedthisluxuriantgrass, but I cannot learn that any 

 person except Mr. Munson had followed his example. 

 From two acres of this grass, Mr. Green fed from 30 

 to 40 or 50 animals every day during the summer 

 season. 



As neither Mr. Green nor Mr. Munson had any 

 knowledge of the history of this grass, and as I had 

 determined to cultivate it, I sought for further infor- 

 mation in such books as were within my reach. 



In Bryan Edwards's, history of Jamaica we have the 

 following account of it. 



'' Guinea grass may be considered as next to the 

 *' sugar cane, in point of importance, as most of the gra- 



