88 I< AHMEK'S BOOK OF 



8. P. WALTERI, Walters Paspalum, is found in cultivates 

 lands, prostrate, creeping, one to three feet long ; spikes three tc 

 seven, the lowest included in the upper sheath. All the prece- 

 ding are perennial. The next two are annuals. 



9. P. FLUITANS, Floating Paspalum. 



This is found in swamps; culm one to three feet long, wit! 

 creeping or floating base, from which it ascends and branches 

 bearing numerous racemed spikes. 



10. P. UNDULATUM, Purple Paspalum, grows on rich culti- 

 vated grounds one to three feet high, bearing two to twelve 

 spreading spikes two or three inches long; the small spikelcti 

 crowded in three or four rows under the flat rachis; the usually 

 deep green leaves and sheaths often become purple. 



Two other species are found ' in Florida. For cultivation 

 the following are specially desirable : P. Iceve, P. undulatum an< 

 P. ciliatifolium for dry uplands, slants and moist or dry bottoms 

 P. prcecox flourishes in the same conditions, better perhaps wit! 

 more water; and P. racemulomm in dry, sandy soil, but wil 

 succeed well on better, moister land. They come in bloom ir 

 the following order from May to September ; P. pracox, ciliati- 

 folium, Iceve, racemulosum, undulatum; and they continue to bloon: 

 from two to four months each, making a fine succession foi 

 pasture ; for which I would sow a mixture of all these. 



There would be no objection to sowing several of them, 01 

 even all for mowing and the mowing should be repeated ai 

 proper intervals, allowing some seeds to mature before each 

 mowing to ensure a full setting next year, although all these 

 have perennial roots. 



The stubble may be plowed under in the fall or in the spring 

 or replowed and harrowed in the spring; the latter plan perhaps 

 insuring a better crop than leaving the land unbroken from 

 year to year. 



!li- '.- ' I ffl'V ; ,'- ! r > .,'!!?..< it, ,;/ 



PANICUM. 



1. P. SANGUINALE, Crab Grass. 



Every planter is familiar with this widely disseminated, nat- 

 uralized foreigner, which has won many a hard contest against 

 man and beast with plow and hoe, forcing the man with wearied 

 brain and exhausted muscle to gain his bread in the sweat of 

 his face with many a Thomsonian sweat forsooth from top to 

 toe. Yet I have seen a crop (many of them,) of this grass har- 

 vested worth more than the corn that could be produced on the 

 same ground. I have seen corn fields and cotton fields of a wet 

 season so overrun with this grass that in May, June, July or 

 August, ten days' work with mowers and horse-rakes would se- 

 cure in choice hay two to ten fold more value, than many 

 months 7 labor with teams and machinery and heavy expenses 



