THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



611 



stopped in wet or severe, vvealher lo exclude rain 

 or frost. If the potato cellar was adopted, it was 

 material that the puncheons ol' whii-h it was built 

 should not be wet, or unseasoned — that ilie house 

 should not be filled to the rid<;e pole — that air- 

 holes should be lel't in the roof to let ott'thc moist- 

 ure exuding Ironi the potato, and that a portion 

 of the Iront'part of the structure should be parti- 

 tioned oH, as a place for the watchman, and the 

 smoke from whose fire would thus be carried by 

 the wind tluoughout the cellar, and exert an im- 

 portant influence in preserving the potato. The 

 air-holes to be stopped in heavy rains, or severe 

 li-ost. The fittest time for digging in the potato 

 was after the first white frost — and it was thought 

 best, where banks were used, to leave the banks 

 uncovered by earth lor some days, protected by 

 corn-stalks merely, from the weather, until some 

 of the superabundant moisture should escape. It 

 was thought that the use of the plough in gather- 

 ing, and the wagon in transporting the potatoes, 

 would be injurious to increasing the chance of being 

 bruised, ami the liability to decay. Kespectlul- 

 ly, &c. ' W. E. 



Beaufort, Sept. 10th, 1841. 



NOTICES OF GRASSES AND WEEDS. 



(Subject resumed from page 570.) 



[Since the last publication on this subject, a 

 private letter has been received, from a much es- 

 teemed correspondent, who therein expressed his 

 gratification at the effort thus making to remove 

 the confusion in regard to the many difterent 

 names of common grasses. But he qualifies his 

 approbation by an objection that may seem va- 

 lid to many others of our readers, and which 

 therefore will be mentioned to be removed here. 

 The identity of the much debated " wire-grass" 

 was fixed by Mr. Tuomey, by ascertaining that 

 it was the " Cynodon dadylon of Persoon, the 

 Digitaria dadylon of Elliott, Panicum dadylon 

 of Linnaeus." Our correspondent fears that by 

 thus presenting three names instead of one, 

 the " confusion will be worse confounded," and 

 that these three, because of their foreign structure, 

 would be even less significant, to general readers, 

 than as many or more provincial or vulgar names. 

 A provincial name teaches nothing, and more 

 often leads a remote reader to error than to truth. 

 But each of these three botanical names applies 

 to the same plant, and would be so recognized 

 by every botanist, or other person referring to a 

 botanical catalogue. Besides, any botanical work 

 which gives either name would state its authori- 

 ty, as Persoon lor the first above, and at the 

 same time mention the other names and 

 the authority. Such superfluity of names is 

 indeed some slight inconvenience, but can lead 



to no mistake — and it is not often that more than 

 one botanical name is required to be given for 

 one plant. 



On the other hand, compare with these means 

 of certain identification, the number of provincial 

 names among which the agricultural public have 

 been floundering for years — and which all attempts 

 of the unlearned (including ourself) to rectify 

 served but to make worse. Thus, even Dr. Dar- 

 lington, on our misinformation, supposed wire- 

 grass to be the Tritkum repens, or couch grass, 

 and on previous and as incorrect information, 

 that it was Poa compressa, or blue grass. Now 

 with either one of all the three names given, in 

 the ^e\v lines of botanical description annexed, 

 not only would an able botanist like Dr. Darling- 

 ton know, and leach correctly, which is any dis- 

 puted species, but others almost unacquaint- 

 ed with botany, and merely having access to any 

 common botanical work, could either reach the 

 same truth, or at least avoid falling into any such 

 gross mistakes as have been common and long 

 existing. Thus, it may still be doubted by many 

 of our southern readers, who are deeply interest- 

 ed in the issue of the question, whether their 

 much -prized Bermuda grass and our odious wire- 

 grass are the same. But any of them can deter 

 mine the matter for themselves, properly, by ob- 

 servation of the grass next summer, and referring 

 to the description. — Ed. F. R.] 



EASTERN SHORE BEAN — CASSIA CHAM.aS 

 CRISTA. 



Cassia. Sepals five, unequal. Stamens most- 

 ly ten, free, unequal; three lower ones longer; 

 lour middle ones shorter and straight ; three up- 

 per ones with abortive anthers, jlnthers dehis- 

 cent at the apex. 



C. chamcecrista, Linn. Smoothish ; leaflets in 

 ten to fifteen pairs, oblong-linear, raucronate; 

 gland sessile on the petiole ; peduncles two to 

 Three flowered, above the axils, shorter than the 

 petiole ; two of the petals spotted ; legume pu- 

 bescent. 



Habitat. Sandy places. New York to Caro- 

 lina, west to Mississippi flowers from June to 

 August. — Stem a foot or more high. Flowers 

 yellow ; sometimes the base of all the petals spot- 

 ted .—^ecfe. M. T. 



Synonymes. — Magothj bay bean— Magadaba bean 

 —Sensitive pea— Partridge pea, (which last 

 name is more generally applied to another 

 common plant.) 



This is a very remarkable and valuable plant — 

 valuable as a meliorating green crop furnished 

 perpetually by nature— and remarkable and sin- 

 gular in this respect, that art has not yet been 

 able laimprove, or alter the benefit offered there- 

 in by nature. The luxuriant and abundant growth 



