On Guinea Grass. 175 



From Willich's Domestic Encyclopedia, I make the 

 following extract. 



" Guinea grass* a valuable species of herbage thus 

 ** denominated as it was first discovered on the coast of 

 ** Guinea, whence it was brought to Jamaica and after- 

 ** wards imported into this country. (England.) 



" In point of real utility, this plant ranks in Jamaica 

 *' next the sugar cane; for the breeding farms through- 

 *' out the Island were originally established and are still 

 " supported chiefly by means of the Guinea grass 

 " which bestows verdure and fertility on lands that 

 "would otherwise not deserve to be cultivated. About 

 ** 10 years since it was introduced into the East Indies, 

 " where it is now successfully cultivated, and grows to 

 " the height of seven feet ; it admits of being frequent- 

 " ly cut, and makes excellent hay : cattle eat it both in 

 " a fresh and dry state with great avidity ; hence the 

 " culture of this valuable herbage has been strongly re- 

 '* commended to the farmers of Cornwall and Devon- 

 " shire. — " 



The subsequent remarks on the culture of this grass 

 are by the late H. Laurens, of S. Carolina, and added 

 to the foregoing by the American editor of that work. 



* I could have wished that the author of the Domestic Encyclope- 

 dia, had given us the botanical name and characters of this plant. 

 For want of books I am unable to supply this deficiency. f Bruce in 

 his travels in Egypt and Abyssinia mentions Guinea grass, but gives 

 no account of its character or properties. I have conversed with 

 many natives of Africa, who recollect to have seen it in many 

 parts of that continent. 



t A botanical description is subjoined to this paper T. M 



