THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



115 



wlieat fields, and viilffarly pupposed lo be de- 



{reiiersiip, or iranarniiied wlieat. 



The lurcifomi; are lln» priiici[)al ffrns-es wliirh 

 orcdr lo i)i»', iis! Iteiiijr iMimiijitl)' known lo our 

 HjinciiiMiiis p, fjiluT oil Jiccouiii ul ilitir viilne 

 or IS iiinvelfotiie in'riiiler^. 



Tin" reiiiaiksol' iM r. Sleoensoii, rpiipecliiiir ihc 

 piia pratensis, or *• KeiiUii |<y tiltit; <!riis.-,'" eiilirrly 

 <-miuide with my t)wri uh^ei vanuns and expe- 

 rience. It is dei idedly ilie most valuahle ol the 

 pramiiieous [iLiniS!, in our pnsiures. It delinhiis 

 in rich caii-areous ami arifill.ic.coiiri soils ; in wliicli 

 eilualions the nuMieroii^, linear, radical leaves, 

 Hre olien near two leei in leniiih, and of the most 

 Jtixuriant verdure. In poor, sandy, or slaiy soil.«. 

 Iiowever, it deteriorates so murh, tiint it would 

 scarcely he recoirnized as the same plant. I have 

 never known it !o be culiivated in Pennsylvania; 

 nor do we find.il necessary to sow I he seeil, where 

 the soil is lavoiahle. In snch soils, it comes in. as 

 >he farmers term it — ?'. e. it supersedes ihe oilier 

 grasses. As it is unnecessary lo sow it in a rich 

 fH)il, 60 would it he labor lost lo sow it in a poor 

 one. I'iie only way, iherelbre, to iiave the he- 

 nefit of this admirable <rrass, is first to prepare ihe 

 landfor its reception. If the soil be not naluraPy 

 (avorabie — ihat is, if it does not consist of an 

 adequa'e proportion of calcareous and aluminous 

 eanh, I should consider it a laborious underla- 

 kinsj; tn prepare it lor a Cull crop oC this wrass ; 

 but whenever there is a good siitf loam, I have 

 no doubt iliat a judicious applicaiioii ol lime and 

 niaiMire will lacilitafe, and speedily insure, the in- 

 troduction ol' ilie plant. 



My remarks have been extended so unexpect- 

 edly, iliai I must ronclnde abnipMy — not, liow- 

 ever, wiihout the ex(iression ol' my admiration ol' 

 your eliurls in tlie glorious ciiuee ol' agiiculiure, 



W. D. 



The preceding article from the American Farm- 

 er of February 17ih, which has been received 

 since our last remarks on this sul>ject were placed 

 in the printer's hands, is li-om the pen of Dr. U'm. 

 Darlington, of Pennsylvania, a disiinguished bo- 

 .tanist, and invesiii^ator of the botany of ihe re- 

 ligion in which he resiiles, (of wliich he lias vvriilen 

 and published a ^ Flora') and some of whose 

 communications lo other periodicals we have 

 taken pleasure to copy into iliis. bo far as it 

 goes, the lijrm and plan of this list of grasses, and 

 their synonymes, are excellent ; and it only requires 

 to be amplified where it i< deficient, and corrected 

 where erroneous, as to vulgar names, ((or in this 

 the most learned must be sometimes misled by the 

 most ignorant nomenclaiors,) and to be extended 

 to other grasses and plaiiis, either of imporlani 

 utility, or whose habits it is desirable to know, as 

 indicating peculiar qualities or conditions of soil. 

 'J'he latter is a curious and interesting subject, 

 which botanists have almost entirely overlooked. 

 'J'he prevalence of certain plants in some locali- 

 ties, and iheir emire absence in others not far dis 

 tant, have been ascribed (and often most absurdly) 

 to supposed diflerencea of temperature, exposure^ 



elevation, &c., when in iruth it was the diflerence 

 ofthe chemical consiiiuiion of soil, ihounh not pcr- 

 ro[)iib!c by any other indicaiions. 'I'lius, sheep sor- 

 rel, and ''hen's rif-si grjss," or what we haveiHrmetl 

 " poverty arass," are unerring in.licaiiuiis of ex- 

 cess of acidiiy in soil, and d> ficiency ol ca'rareous 

 mailer, as the growih of saint loin (in Europe) 

 and-of red clover, or of our " wi(e-gr;'..-s," is of op- 

 posite qualiiies. 'i'hus, if ohserved and marked, 

 ihese and many oilier plants would offer the most 

 unerring indications cf the consiiiuiion and the 

 warns, and the means of improving Sbils, 



We take Ihe liberty of suggesting to botanists, 

 and lo oihers who are disposed to aid this olj^ct, 

 which we have several limes urged, Ihat the lore- 

 iioing list of Dv. Darlingion, as numbered, shall 

 be t.iken as ihe commencement ami ground-work 

 of a general list of synonymes of ilie grasses and 

 weeds of agriculture in the United Slates; and 

 ihat other persons shall aild lo, or correct ihcse 

 and any subsequent descriptions, by reference lo 

 ihe botanical names and numbers here, or here- 

 after used— and that other grasses and weeds, as 

 presented, be numbered in order, as a coniinualiun 

 of iliis list. It will not only be botanisfs and sci- 

 entific men only wlio can aid this woik essentially, 

 but also tiiose wiihout any knowledge except such 

 as oniinary care ill oliservaiion would snpiily, add- 

 ed to ai-quaiulance wiih the pnriicular plant uiidei" 

 consideration. It will also add much to llie use- 

 lulness of such a lisi, if ihe peculiarities and cha- 

 racter of each plant, as alleciing agiiculiure inju- 

 riou-ily or otherwise, should be stated. Even if 

 such descri()iions are to be (bund in any exislin" 

 ' Flora' or oiher botanical woik, ihey would not 

 be there sought liar by unlearned inquirers. 



In furiherance of this proposal we will ofTer 

 here a slight correction in regard to one name in 

 Dr. Darlington's synonymes, the " wire-grass" of 

 Virginia, which he supposes lo be ihe same with 

 ihe "wire-grass" of Pennsylvania, or "blue 

 grass" of Pennsylvania and Virginia, (2. pea 

 compreasa,) but wliich is in fact his No. 11, triti' 

 cum repeiis, or couch grass of England. 



This grass prefers dry and light soils, and will 

 -carcely grow except where there is enou"h of 

 li.me to consiiiute a good and (iBriile soil. Thus 

 it is one of the most sure indicaiions gf a well 

 consliiuied end improvable soil, whether made bo 

 by naiure or by an. On liie acid and naturally 

 poor soils, ^)est adapted to produce sorrel, poverty 

 L'rass, broom sedge, and pines, tv ire-grass will 

 rarely if ever be Ibund, and never can be a irou- 

 Mesonie weed, no matter how mtuh pulrescent 

 manure is applied, and temporary fcriili'y ihcreby 

 induced. Bui if the land be made calcareous, by 

 marling, or by the ashes deposited ia ilie course el" 



