278 [Assembly 



last it is generally known in England^ This grass, both for for- 

 age and pasture, has become one of the first grasses of the northern • 

 and middle States ; it is a perenniel, and mixed with a few other 

 good grasses, it makes the best permanent pasture. The time for 

 cutting this grass has been a serious question ; it seems to be now 

 pretty well settled by the practice of a majority of our best far- 

 mers, that when the flowers begin to fall is the proper time for cut- 

 ting it. The reasons given for this, it is thought, are too strong 

 to be resisted or refuted, and this, notwithstanding the experi- 

 ments made by Mr. George Sinclair, Woburn Abbey, England, 

 on the grasses, these went to show that when the seeds of timo- 

 thy were hard or ripe, was the period for cutting it. 



Kentucky blue grass is a native of our country ; it will grow 

 in many of our western States, but especially Kentucky, from 

 this it takes its name ; it is excellent for woods, lawns, and clear- 

 ed open fields ; it is succulent, nutricious and tender ; it makes 

 the best permanent pastures in all these localities. "When plant- 

 ed properly, well managed as to feeding, and it gains a fair foot- 

 hold, there is no eradicating it except by plowing. When tilled 

 for any of tlie grains, it leaves the soil in the best state for any of 

 these, and especially Indian corn ; from 60 to 80 bushels an acre 

 have been obtained of this, without any manure of consequence, 

 and that from Melds containing 50 to 60 acres, and this after being 

 kept in grass and pastuuige for eight or ten years. Very little 

 expense qn tillage, and no manure except what the cattle made 

 in feeding upon it. The grass grows more nutricious with in- 

 creasing age, chokes and roots out all weeds and inferior grasses, 

 inone can grow wliere it is ; it grows all winter, with swch winter 

 •as they usually have in Kentucky; all kinds of slock can not 

 only live, but get tat upon it the year round. An eminent Ken- 

 tucky farmer has said he could rai>e fine fat beeves upon it, and 

 nothing else. 



Gama grass is a native of the south, reaches as far as the Mis- 

 sissippi, a remarkable grass, all kinds of stock are fond of it j it 

 grows rapidly even in a southern drought, ami has been known, 

 and the fact well authenticated in July, to grow forty-three inches, 

 and was succ»ilent ami tender. In Alabama, it has been cultiva- 

 ted perhaps with the greatest si;ccess. In the southern section 



