CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 241 



30. Guinea Grass. 



Guinea grass, Panicum polygonum, is a naturalized plant, 

 introduced into this country many years since from Jamaica, 

 whence it was originally derived from Guinea. It was in high 

 repute with many of our western and southern planters some 

 years since, but for some cause or other, at present unknown 

 to us, its culture at the present time is almost obsolete. It 

 was introduced more than fifty years since into South Carolina 

 by the Hon. HENRY LAURENS, President of the Continental 

 Congress. Though by many considered as an annual, it is a 

 perennial plant. 



The Memoirs of the Agricultural Society of Philadelphia 

 contain several interesting papers on the subject of this plant. 

 Among them one from Dr. BROWN, of Natchez, accompanied 

 by certificates, stating that eight horses were kept during the 

 growing season upon the gras-3 cut from one quarter of an acre: 

 a most remarkable circumstance. A Mr. OOLESBY, of Ken- 

 tucky, fed six horses during the summer of 1812 on the grass 

 grow on a quarter of an acre. He planted the second week in 

 May, commenced cutting on the 20th of June, cut it five 

 times over by the middle of October, obtaining from each 

 plant, which occupied a square yard, about sixty pounds of 

 green grass. He states that he has frequently known it to 

 grow four inches in twenty-four hours. Mr. BRONNOUGH says 

 it will produce more than six times the quantity of any other 

 grass he is acquainted with. 



We see no reason why this grass, if the above statements are 

 correct, should fall into disrepute; nor why its cultivation may 

 not be resuscitated among us to great profit in this age of agri- 

 cultural improvement. 



31. Blue Grass. 



Blue grass, Poa compressa. This well known grass affords 

 a most nutritious pasture, and for this reason it has of late 

 years become a great favourite with our western farmers. It 

 is now most extensively cultivated in Kentucky and Tennessee, 

 and is rapidly coming into use in all the grazing districts. It 

 grows remarkably well under cover of woodland, and is also 

 much esteemed as an important part of the mixture of seeds in 

 laying down lands to grass. Professor GORDON, of Clinton 

 College, Tenn., who has with much care and patience investi- 

 gated its merits, speaks of it in the highest terms of commen- 

 dation. Dr. DARLINGTON says that "it is not so much esteemed 

 as the green meadow grass, Poa pratensis, and is sometimes 

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