9 



AND OTHER FORAGE PLANTS. 121 



In south-west Mississippi where this grass was planted more 

 than fifty years ago, where the fields were vacated during and 

 after the civil war, it disappeared, except in spots inac- 

 cessible to stock. It shows little tendency to spread much, and 

 some planters of longest experience, consider it not "very 

 troublesome in cultivated fields. Poor cultivation, however, 

 only spreads and multiplies it. 



Since writing this account of Johnson Grass, the following 

 letter has been received : .. 



ALABAMA HAY FARMS, } 

 MARION JUNCTION, DALLIS Go. ALA., v 

 July 20th, 1880. j 

 D. L. PHARES, ESQ., 



MY DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 2d inst., asking me to 

 write you my experience with, and knowledge of the Johnson 

 Grass, came duly to hand. It gives me pleasure to respond to 

 your wishes, and through your proposed work on Grasses, to 

 give the farmers of the United States, a knowledge of this grass 

 which I consider stands at the head of the list of grasses for this 

 country, especially the southern part of it. After an experience 

 of five years in raising it and shipping the hay made from it, my 

 earliest opinion of it is more than confirmed, its value as both 

 a grazing and hay grass not being equaled by any. other in this 

 country. It belongs to the Sorghum family, bearing a close re- 

 semblance to chicken corn in its stalk and seed. It is perennial, 

 of rapid growth, containing much saccharine matter, very nutri- 

 tious and eagerly sought after by stock of all kinds. 



It is not a new grass as supposed by many, but only of late 

 years made available as a grass for hay. It has been upon this 

 farm, (the Johnson place) for nearly forty years. The most re- 

 liable history I can obtain of it is this : Gov. Means of South 

 Carolina obtained some of the seed from Turkey as early as 1835 

 where it was called Guinea grass. He planted it on his planta- 

 tion, where it is still called Means grass. In 1840 or 45, Wm. 

 Johnson of this place being in South Carolina, brought some of 

 the seed with him and sowed upon his farm here, whence it de- 

 rived the name of Johnson grass, by which it is now most com- 

 monly known. The botanical name is Sorghum halapense, 

 while the Guinea grass grown in Jamaica is known as Panicum 

 jumentorum. 



The Johnson grass is of rapid growth, springs up early in the 

 spring, and continues growing until frost, being less affected by 

 drought than other grasses. It is propa'gated by both roots and 

 seed, the foi mer penetrating to the depth of three or four feet, 

 reaching the moisture, which is so essential for grass culture. 

 On good soil the yield is from one to two tons to the acre and 

 can be cut three times during the summer. With fertilizing, 

 the yield could be largely increased, and one more cutting per 



