160 THB GRASSES OF TENNESSEE. 



But, on the other hand, its extirpation) when once well es- 

 tablished, is almost impossible, though to check and weaken 

 it, so far as to grow a grain or cotton crop, is easy enough. 

 To do this, pursue the course oi the best farmers of Ken- 

 tucky in their management of blue grass sod with a good 

 breaking plow, having a wheel and coulter, and a stout 

 team, turn over evenly and nicely a sod four inches thick 

 and as wide as the plow and horses are capable of, following 

 in the same furrow with another plow which casts the dirt 

 well, and throw out as much of the fresh earth on top of 

 the sod as possible, or the depth of the soil will admit of. 

 The crop that follows can easily be tended without disturb- 

 turbing the sod, and its gradual decay will greatly increase 

 whatever crop may be planted on it and that should be a 

 shading one, cora and peas or pumpkins, or winter oats 

 followed by peas. Good farmers will understand that heavy 

 crops of hay cannot be removed, for many successive years, 

 from any land without some return in the shape of manure. 

 To the careful, judicious farmer, who wishes to improve his 

 land and his stock,, and who does not expect to grow any 

 crop without trouble, and who uses good plows and keeps 

 a stout team, and that in prime order, we earnestly recom- 

 med to try an acre or two of this grass, in a situation where 

 it cannot readily spread. To the careless farmer we say 

 touch it not. 



" Bermuda grass well set, which affords the finest and 

 most nutritious pasturage I have ever seen, will keep 

 almost any number of sheep to the acre three or four times 

 as many as blue grass." 



HAIRY MUSKIT-MEZQUITE MESQUIT.--(JJottfe&roa cur- 

 tipendula.) 



Spikes short, solitary, racemed; spikelets alternate, two or three 

 flowered, the terminal flower imperfect; glumes two; keeled, the upper 

 layer shorter than the flowers; stamens three ; anthers orange or red; 

 rachis extending beyond the spikelets. Perennial. 



Muskit grass has come into very general use in some 



