FARMERS' REGISTER— VIRGINIA SPRINGS— OAT GRASS. 



297 



From the Lexington Union. 

 VIRGINIA SPRINGS. 



The crowd of visiters to the various watering 

 places ill our mountains, continues without any 

 obvious diminution. At the White Sulphur, up 

 to Tuesday last, the company could not all be ac- 

 commodated. A number of persons were still lin- 

 gering at the public houses in the vicinity. The 

 number which have registered their names at the 

 above place, during the season, amounts to about 

 1500. At the Salt Sulphur, for a considerable time 

 past, they have had from 140 to 190 — and the re- 

 gister during the season numbers about 1000. The 

 Red Sulphur has been crowded througliout the 

 season. The Sweet Springs during the present 

 month, as is usual, will be tlie point of attraction. 

 At the Warm and Hot Springs there are large 

 companies. 



Several of our distinguished citizens have visi- 

 ted these Springs during the summer. * * * A 

 number of the otficers of the United States navy, 

 with their wives — and a number of the officers of 

 the U. S. army, hunting wives — together with all 

 classes of the community, save one. There you 

 will find the divine and the blackleg — the gay and 

 the serious — age and youth — beauty and ugliness. 

 The excluded class, with a few exceptions, are the 

 poor. 



That this portion of the community should be 

 excluded from these ricli bounties of Heaven, has 

 ever been a theme of regret by philanthropists and 

 politicians; but without having produced an effort 

 upon the part of any individual to effect a change 

 in their management, so as to enable the humble 

 in life, who need their healing influences, to par- 

 take of their benefits. We well remember the 

 substance of a conversation with Mr. Jefferson, a 

 few years ago, when upon a visit to the Warm 

 Springs. Mr. J. was lamenting the state of things, 

 which excluded the poor from these healing wa- 

 ters, — and said in relation to the White Sulphur, 

 that they, at least, ought to be purchased by the 

 State — and placed on such a footing, as to enable 

 all classes of the community to enjoy their bene- 

 fits — and that, if they could not be procured by 

 negotiation, the State ought to condemn them for 

 public use, upon paying the proprietors a liberal 

 price for them ; and urged, as an argument amongst 

 others, for such an innovation on |)rivafe rights, 

 that they were great public blessings, placed there 

 by the hand of God, for the benefit of the human 

 family — and that no individual, or set of uidivi- 

 duals, had an exclusive right to their enjoyment. 

 That the argument of public necessity and public 

 utility, operated with ten fold force, in relation to 

 the health of the citizen, than it did, in relation to 

 his convenience, which authorised the condemna- 

 tion of lands for roads, mills, &c. This is an im- 

 perfect sketch — a mere outline of the views of that 

 distinguished man. The idea was new ; but his 

 arguments satisfied us not only of the power, but 

 the propriety of the measure. 



The State of New York puchased Saratoga — 

 made the waters public property — laid off a vil- 

 lage — sold the lots — and realized a pecuniary pro- 

 fit. The number of visiters at that Spring, dur- 

 ing the present summer, has been as high as 3000. 

 Hotels of various grades, exist there, — where the 

 poor can be accommodated — where boarding can 

 be had exactly in proportion to the dimensions of 

 the purse. 



Vol. 1—38 



No man can doubt, that, if there were accom- 

 modations upon the plan of Saratoga, at the White 

 Sulpiuir — (vvc select it on account of the advan- 

 tages of quantity of water, not because we believe 

 it j)0ssesses superior virtues to the Salt Sulphur, 

 and perhaps, others)^that in place of having, at 

 the same time, 300 visiters, it would have 3000, 

 The foreign capital, which would thus he introdu- 

 ced into the Commonwealth, would be felt through- 

 out all our borders, — and especially in the moun- 

 tain region — and the richest blessing which man 

 can enjoy, secured to the poor, as well as to the 

 rich. 



OAT GRASS. 



From the American Farmer. 



Beaver Dam, Fa. March 30, 1831. 

 Gideon B. SiMixii; 



Respected Friend — Amongst the grass cultiva-" 

 ted in our country, there is one which I think has 

 not received its due share of attention. I speak of 

 the Highland meadow oats, sometimes called Pe- 

 ruvian grass; avena elaiior. The first person who 

 tried its merits in this state, as far as my knowledge 

 extends, was the late Col. Taylorof Caroline, who 

 cultivated it a number of years; and in a paper read 

 before the Agricultural Society of Virginia, drew 

 a comparison between it and various other species, 

 as adapted to our climate, highly favorable to its 

 excellence. It has also, if I mistake not, received 

 his encomiums in some communications to the 

 x\merican Farmer, as well as those of other con- 

 tributors to your valuable Journal. 



It possesses the merit of affording an abundant 

 supply of herbage, at a very early, as well as to a 

 very late season. It shoots up sooner than the or- 

 chard grass, and retains its verdure longer; when 

 the heats of summer, however, overtake it, it fur- 

 nishes less pasturage; it answers exceedingly well 

 to sow with clover. The period at which they come 

 to the scythe being the same, and the meadow oats 

 retaining its erect position, thereby serving to sup- 

 port the clover; render the mixture of these two 

 grasses very desirable. Timothy, which is fre- 

 quently used to mix with clover, ripens so much 

 later, that it can only answer a single purpose. 



The best season for sowing the seed is in the fall, 

 at the rate of about a bushel to the acre. The young 

 plants are very hardy, and survive the winter with- 

 out injury. I have, however, succeeded well after 

 spring sowing, and farther north it might be attend- 

 ed with equal or better success. In either case, the 

 ground should be harrowed after sowing. 



I have found it to grow well on all lands that are 

 not wet. Its name indicates that it is better adapted 

 to dry land: and, accordingly, I have not had it to 

 thrive where the soil was very moist. In lands that 

 suit it, it will remain without deteriorating, for 

 an almost indefinite time, neither suffering the en- 

 croachments of other grasses, nor failing from a 

 want of the peculiar food necessary to its suste- 

 nance. Neither do I perceive that it becomes more 

 thickly set. I have now a lot that has been stand- 

 ing for a number of years, and tlie growth is still 

 as vigorous and luxuriant as at first. 



]M y experience goes to show that it is well calcu- 

 lated to improve the land. The first that I sowed 

 was on a very thin lot, which, in wheat, scarcely 

 doubled the seed at the time it was laid down in this 



