50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AUGUST 36, 1S3B. 



[From the Fanner and Gardener.] 

 RIBBOIf GRASS. 



1 wish to make a few remarks on some experi- 

 ments that I am inaking, tliough now in their in- 

 fancy, on a species of grass here named and 

 known as tlie ribbon grass. This early disclosure 

 of results, as far as they have gone, is rendered 

 the more necessary, inasmuch as I have recently 

 seen an extract from a letter of mine in an agri- 

 cuhural paper which though not intended for the 

 public eye, found its way to the press. To this 

 course I have not the slightest objection ; but on 

 the contrary, will feel especially happy at all times, 

 if what I may say should be of service to my 

 countrymen, of letting whatever . I may write be 

 published. The circumstance to which I allude 

 was this. I mentioned in a letter to a friend, that 

 I had seen a patch of ribbon grass, in a very flour- 

 ishing stale on a wet, boggy spot of ground, and 

 of my full belief of its being susceptible of being 

 very extensively and profitably cultivated, and of 

 my intention of trying the experiment. As this 

 has been communicated to the public, and as I 

 have had a very favorable account of it from a 

 gentleman in Connecticut, an experienced and 

 jfractical farmer, and of his determination of en- 

 tering into its culture immediately, I deem it pro- 

 per that I should make known my own exiieri- 

 nients and opinion of this grass, believing as J 

 do that it will prove a most valuable acquisition to 

 the cultivated grasses, and a great blessing to the 

 people of the south in particular. 



A neighbor of mine, (Capt. John Simpson, 

 living in Greenland,) knowing 1 had made some 

 experiments on grasses, observed to me that he 

 had a patch of ribbon grass on a springy, boggy 

 piece of ground, which it was worth my while to 

 see. It was his belief, from its luxuriant growth 

 in the bog, and the circumstance of its expelling 

 all other grasses, taking full possession of the soil, 

 .and affording two full crops in the season, and 

 from the fact that all kinds of stock were very 

 ^ond of it, that it might be cnltivated to great ad- 

 vantage. This excited my curiosity, and I soon 

 called on the gentleman to satisfy it, and was sur- 

 prised at the beauty and richness of the grass. It 

 grew on a bog at a small distance from a living 

 spring, where the water descended and spread 

 through the grass all the season. The appear- 

 ance of the neighboring grass in the same situa- 

 tion, was very ordinary, being thin, flat-leafed, 

 short, and nearly worthless — whereas the ribbon 

 grass, in every particular, wore the most beautiful 

 appearance of any grass I had ever beheld. It 

 was then in its vigor, and in full bloom, every leaf 

 being expanded, wide and thick, so that the eye 

 could not penetrate through it. Each leaf has 

 one or more stripes lengthwise, differing on close 

 scrutiny, from each other, either in the number of 

 stripes, or their farm or shade. This grass aver- 

 aged about four feet in height, and stood perfectly 

 erect. It is possessed of a fine solid stock, having 

 an inviting and luscious appearance as fodder. I 

 took a clean lock of it, and another of herds grass, 

 and offered them both together to my horse, and 

 found him quite as fond of the ribbon as of the 

 herds grass.* Capt. Simpson states that he has 

 observed that his stock were more fond of it than 



* Mr Robinson means timothy, that being the name 

 by which it is designated to the eastward. — Eo. Farm. 

 AMU Gard. 



of his best hay of other kinds. This patch would 

 amount to about one sipiare rod. 



I engaged the seed, not knowing what it pro- 

 duced, having never particularly observed the 

 grass before ; I accordingly applied at the proper 

 time as was supposed, and reaped the heads, but 

 was able to discover but very few seed, from one 

 to three to the head. Being certain that we were 

 full early, a part was suflTered to remain till later 

 in the season — when by a re-examination it was 

 found in the same condition. I beat and rubbed 

 out the chaff"; but could discover only a few small 

 seeds. I sowed it in good season, with the great- 

 est care, in my garden, hoping that in the chaff' 

 there was more than what I could discover, which 

 would vegetate. I sowed it in drills, to be sure to 

 have it well covered, and that I should not mistake 

 other grasses for it. There ap])eared to come up 

 a few white blades, which I supposed to be young 

 ribbon grass ; these few, however, dwindled ofl^ 

 one by one, till all disappeared, the ground never 

 having been disturbed since, and I have not one 

 plant to show from these seeds. Hence I conclude 

 it cannot be propagated from the seed. 



Having a very favorable opinion of the grass, I 

 looked for some way to pro|)agate it, and conclud- 

 ing that it might be multiplied from the^ root, as 

 hops and many vegetables are, I accordingly en- 

 gaged one-half of the patch, to take it in the 

 spring. I prepared my ground (40 rods) by plough- 

 ing in my low ground in the fall, the ground vary- 

 ing from soft to very soft mud. The spring being 

 wet, the ground uncommonly soft and muddy, I 

 postponed the setting of it out, I think, till June, 

 wlien I went for my wagon load of turf, tlie grass 

 was then from four to eight inches long. Early 

 in the spring it had a dead apjiearance, but 

 at this time it had become pretty well sprung up ; 

 some old stubs were dead. Perhaps this situation 

 was one of the most trying of any to be found. It 

 grew where ice made to a great thickness from the 

 water spraying from the spring all the year. Mr 

 Simpson has informed me since I took away one- 

 half of his turf of the ribbon grass, that it sprung 

 immediately up in the same place, and produced 

 a crop quite as good as before. Since his closer 

 observations, he says he esteems the grass more 

 highly than at first. 



The manner in which this grass was planted in 

 the bog, was this. He had a tuft of it growing 

 for ornament in his garden, in a very rich soil ; 

 which he occasionally ploughed, and finding the 

 ribbon grass spread a little too far, he ploughed off" 

 some of the roots, gathered them and threw them 

 into the bog ; he found they took root, spread and 

 flourished as I have stated. I observed when get- 

 ting my grass, there were some low spots covered 

 with water, where the grass sprung up stronger 

 and larger, being apparently more in its element. 

 Capt. Simpson's garden is of the richest soil among 

 us; yet it is evident that one rod of the bog will 

 produce as much as four in his garden. Immedi- 

 ately after getting home with my turf, I com- 

 menced chopping it up, taking care to divide the 

 tufts according to the stalks, leaving from one to 

 three in each piece, chopping them with a sharp 

 sjiade, into pieces, from one to four inches square, 

 setting out about 40 square rods, about two feet 

 apart, without any manure ; and setting a few for 

 experiments in the middle furrow where the water 

 was constantly issuing nearly all the season. 

 None of them failed of living, and all have taken 

 root, shot out and spread considerably ; some few 



to meet each othar. Those iu a dead furrow ap 

 pear every way as thrifty as those on the bed. 1 

 bad the curiosity to try the experiment by sticking 

 one stalk of this grass without root in the mud i 

 where the water continued to issue : it appeared 

 to grow as well as those with the root ; and sho 

 out with branches. This method of propagation 

 is more facile than from the root. I pressed sev 

 eral tufts into holes in a bog where the watei 

 would rise to the top of the tufts, (this is amonj 

 fresh grass,) here it shot out and appears in its 

 element, and will in all probability spread ant 

 drive away all the other grasses. I also sunt 

 some into what is called a quagmire, where it is st 

 soft as not to bear a cat; here I sunk the tufif 

 level with the water; these have the appearancf 

 of being perfectly in their element. All these 1 

 have lately surveyed since our severe cold, anc 

 those in the wettest places appear least aflfected. 

 set some of them out on some of the most barrel 

 soil, under a forest of white oaks, where nothinj 

 of consequence will grow : they all live there, an( 

 will probably produce something, perhaps one toi 

 to the acre ; if it will do this on very barren lands 

 it may be well to cover them over with it. I hav( 

 set it in my front yard and in my garden, on warn 

 soil of tolerable quality, bordering on commoi 

 grass, in part for ornament. A portion of this wa; 

 manured and hoed ; here it is perceivable that thi 

 higher the culture the greater the product as i 

 respects high ground. It is demonstrated fron 

 my experiments, and Capt. Simpson's discovery 

 that this grass is truly amphibious. It will do wel 

 on high dry lands, and it will thrive in a bog o 

 even in water. I do not, know how deep a wate 

 it will grow in, but 1 presume it will grow in shoal 

 especially running water. Is it not evident tha 

 this grass possesses very valuable properties, am 

 must prove superior to most other grasses ? Yes 

 for it not only grows luxuriantly and in abundanc 

 in a quagmire- where nothing of any value ha 

 ever been known to be produced before, but it 

 roots are of such a tough nature, that a sward i 

 soon produced that will bear a cart and oxen to pas 

 over it. It has another good quality : — althougi 

 the circumstance of this grass not producing seei 

 for propagation, seems at first view to lessen it 

 value — yet when we consider the evils resultin; 

 from many troublesome grasses that spread fron 

 seed, and that no limits can be set them ; we may 

 with propriety, esteem it a virtue iu this fast-rootei 

 grass, that limits can be set to h, that our valua 

 ble tillage grouud may never be impeded with iti 

 roots, and that our waste and unproductive bogi 

 mav be easily changed to the most productive por 

 tions of out farms. As to what Ribbon Grass wil 

 do in pasture, I know nothing. I have my doubt: 

 whether it will succeed, as 1 think it is not thici 

 and downy enough, to bear repeated trami)liii} 

 and cropping close to the ground. It is possible 

 however, from its hardiness, wherever it has beet 

 known by me, that it may endure the hardship o 

 being pastured ; if so, I have a right to conclude 

 from all its other properties, that it will prove faj 

 more valuable than any species of grass yet intro- 

 duced into culture (the gama not being fully 

 known,) and if any farmers at the North or South, 

 have waste bogs that are eye-sores within thelt 

 enclosures, let them try the experiment of the cul- 

 ture of this grass ; it will not be costly, even ii 

 they should not succeed. 



Abednego Robinson, 

 Of Portsmouth, JV. H. 



