54 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



the saving in the end, however, may eventually 

 prove a loss, if the builder of (he stable be the 

 owner of the horses. A very larcre stable cannot 

 easily be ventilated ; it rerjuiree a lofty roof to give 

 any degree of purity, and contagious diseases 

 once introduced into such, spread rapidly and do 

 extensive mischief before they can be checked." 



REMARKS ON GREENSWARD, ORCHARD GRASS, 

 AND OTHER GRASSES. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 



Since I became a farmer, my observation has 

 brought me to llie conclusion, that many lands on 

 the Eastern Shore were well adapted to grazing. 

 The diminution of our black population, by the 

 purchases of the south-western speculators, and 

 the fear of being sold, which has occasioned many 

 a poor fellow to fly to the free states, has produced 

 with us a serious want of labor, which, as (ar as 

 it has been tried, has not been well supplied by the 

 Germans who have come into this part of the 

 country. Before they suit us, and we suit them, 

 we must come down a little more to the practical 

 habits of liberty and equality. IMy views have 

 led me to inquire into the different species of 

 grass which grow in the different regions of our 

 extensive country; and I was much pleased with 

 the paper of Mr. Stevenson on the blue grass of 

 Kentucky, of which I had heard, but of which I 

 had very imperfect information. Mr. Stevenson 

 sugiiests that the greensward grass, or yard grass 

 of Virginia, is the blue grass of Kentucky. In 

 the same siiuaiinns, we have the same grass. By 

 referring to the 7lh volume of the Farmers' Re- 

 gister, page 20, some account will be found of the 

 Pennsylvania green grass, which I have no doubt 

 is the blue grass of Kentucky, and the greensward 

 of Virginia and Maryland. As some of your read- 

 ers may not find it convenient to turn to the vo- 

 lume, which is now before me, I will srive consisely 

 ihe statement, premising that General Evans, from 

 whom I obtained the information, is an old ftirmer, 

 and very intelligent and observant. He stated 

 that he well remembered when what we call blue 

 grass in Maryland, rooted out their red clover, which 

 is now succeeded by green grass. They esteem 

 it their best grazing, and cut it for hay, though it 

 does not afford so abundant a crop as orchard 

 grass or timothy. It is a hardy plant, and I saw 

 it in luxuriant growth in the month of November, 

 after the heavy drought of 1838, and I am inclined 

 to think it will resist the frost as well as orchard 

 grass. I entertain no doubt, but the green grass, 

 on General Evans' farm, was the result of lime 

 and putrescent manure. Certain sections of Ches- 

 ter county abound in lime-stone, but on his farm 

 there was none, and there was much sand in the 

 soil, mixed wiih slate. I had a lot which I im- 

 proved well seven years ago with marl and putres- 

 cent manures, which 1 have once since dressed with 

 some manure from my stables and cow yard. If 

 was sown in orchard grass. 1 have taken a crop 

 of hay from it every year, and sometimes two. 

 The orchard grass is running out in part of it, and 

 it is succeeded by green grass. 



_ I concur with Mr. Stevenson, if the lands of Vir- 

 ginia be well improved by marl and putrescent 

 manure, and I add those of Maryland, they will 



produce what is called green grass in Pennsylva- 

 nia, and blue grass in Kentucky, I believe they 

 will require neither sowing or setting. I rely upon 

 fact, and leave the causes to philosophers and 

 geologists. " Felix qui rerum potuit cognoscere 

 causas.''' General Evans saw the appearance of 

 grfeen grass in his fields, which drove out the fi- 

 brous blue grass, and no seed were sown. None 

 was sown in my lot, and, I infer, none on Mr. Ruf- 

 fin's fields * My speculation is, that where a great 

 alteration occurs in the soil, whether li-om natural 

 or artificial causes, a modification takes place in 

 some productions of the earih. In support of this, 

 I will state another fact. When my father built 

 his house, where I now reside, more than sixty 

 years ago, his good taste, contrary to the usages 

 of the times, induced him to spare a contiguous 

 wood. To improve the vegetation, ( have carried 

 some marl on it, and wherever it has been spread, 

 white clover has sprung up so thick as to expel 

 the sour grasses of the forest. I cannot believe 

 that the seed was carried there by the birds of the 

 air or the winds of heaven, and exposed to heat, 

 cold, and moisture, retained their vegetative pow- 

 er til! called into action by the marl. 



Mr. Stevenson supposes, that the Kenluckians 

 would be willing to swap their " devil's bit" for 

 Virginia blue grass. I do not know how the pro- 

 posal will be accepted in Virginia, but I would not 

 agree to it on the part of Maryland. Our blue 

 grass, though a sore pest in our wheat and corn 

 fields, affords gooil grazing in lack of better. 

 Though the devil's hit is a hard name, I will 

 agree on the part of Maryland to take it in full ex- 

 change of St. John's wort, Richardson pink, spear 

 plantain, and a few Canada thistles. 



I apprehend the great fertility of Kenkucky is 

 founded in its calcareoussoil. Lime corrects acidity, 

 and, according to Mr. Rufh'ii's theory, gives per- 

 manency to putrescent manures. The falling of 

 the leaves, and the decaying vegetables in combi- 

 nation with the lime, make rich beds of the ma- 

 nure for ages, whilst undisturbed by the axe or 

 mattock, and when cleared of the underwood, the 

 beautiful blue grass sprang up. Nature has done 

 for Kentucky, what industry lias done for Penn- 

 sylvania ; and which it can do for Virginia and 

 Maryland : and perhaps, in time to come, some er- 

 ratic Kentuckian may find in Maryland, fields of 

 grass that will remind him of "the glorious pas- 

 tures" of the Elkhorn Paradise. 



Since I wrote the above, I have received the 

 American Farmer of the 80: h ultimo, which con- 

 tains an inquiry from the Kentucky Farmer, in re- 

 lation to orchard grass, and an answer from the 

 Cincinnati Republican ; some parts of which, do 

 not concur with my experience and observation. 

 Orchard srass to me is an important crop ; I gather 

 neither blades or tops, and cut no other hay — it 

 constitutes the rack food for my carriage and saddle 

 horses, for my farm horses when they are at work. 

 I feed my calves on it in the winter, and my oxea 

 when I can afford it. 



I esteem a strong clay the best soil for orchard 

 grass, so level as to retain the rain which falls, 

 without receiving it from the adjacent lands. The 

 drought of 1838 was abiding and severe, and the 

 part of the lot which I have mentioned, where the 

 orchard grass has been succeeded by green grass, 



* This inference is correct. — Ed. F. R. 



