80 



EICHARD FROTSCHER'S ALMANAC AND GARDEN MANUAL 



September or October. Along the more south- 

 ernly belt, from the 31 ° parallel southward, it 

 may be sown in November and onward till the 

 middle of December. Whenever sown it is one 

 of the most certain grasses to have a good 

 catch. Not less than two bushels (24 pounds) 



per acre should be sown. Like Timothy, on 

 inhospitable soils, the root may sometimes be- 

 come bulbous. The average annual nutrition 

 yielded by this grass in the Southern belt, is 

 probably twice as great as in Pennsylvania 

 and other Northern States. 



JOHNSON O^ASS. 



(Sorghum halapense. ) 



This has been called Cuba grass, Egyptian 

 grass. Means gi'as's, Alabama and Guinea 

 grass, etc. 



It seems pretty well agreed now however, to 

 call it Johnson grass, and leave the name 

 Guinea grass for the Fanicum jumentorum, to 

 which it properly belongs. 



It is true that in Mr. Howard's pamphlet, 

 as well as in many periodicals and books, and 

 in letters and common usage, this grass has 

 been far more generally called Guinea grass 

 than the true Guinea grass itself, thus causing 

 vast confusion. It is, therefore, assuredly 

 time to call each by its right name. Johnson 

 grass is perennial and has cane-like roots, or 

 more j)roperly, underground stems, from the 

 size of a goose-quiU to that of the little finger. 

 These roots are tender, and hogs are fond of 

 and thrive on them in winter. The roots 

 literally fill the ground near the surface, and 

 every joint is capable of developing a bud. 

 Hence the grass is readily propagated from 

 root cutting. It is also propagated from the 

 seeds, but not always so certainly; for in 

 some localities many faulty seeds are produced, 

 and in other places no seeds are matured. 

 Before sowing the seeds, therefore, they should 

 be tested, as should all grass seeds indeed, in 

 order to know what proportion will germinate, 

 and thus what quantity per acre to sow. One 

 bushel of a good sample of this seed is suffi- 

 cient for one acre of land. 



The leaf, stalk and panicle of this grass 

 resemble those of other sorghums. It grows 

 on any land where corn will grow; and like the 

 latter, the better the land the heavier the crop. 

 On rich land the culms attain a size of over 

 half an inch in diameter, and a height of seven 

 feet. It should be cut while tender, and then 

 all live stock are fond of it; for a few weeks 

 are sufficient to render it so coarse and hard 

 that animals refuse it, or eat sparingly. 



A few testimonials are here quoted to give an 



idea of the productiveness and value of this 

 plant. In a letter published in the Eural 

 CaroUnicm for 1874, Mr. N. B, Moore, who had 

 for more than forty years grown crops, speaks 

 of this grass under the name of Guinea grass : 



"My meadow consists of one hundred acres 

 of alluvial land, near Augusta. * * * In winter 

 I employ but four men, who are enough to 

 work my packingpress; in summer, when 

 harvesting, double that number. In autumn 

 I usually scarify both ways with sharp, steel- 

 toothed harrows, and sow over the stubble a 

 peck of red clover per acre, which, with 

 volunteer vetches, comes off about the middle 

 of May. The second yield of clover is 

 uniformly eaten up by grasshoppers. The top 

 roots remain to fertilize the then coming 

 Guinea grass, which should be but from two 

 to three feet high. * * * On such land as 

 mine, it will afford three or four cuttings if the 

 season is propitious. I use an average of five 

 tons of gypsum soon after the first cutting, 

 and about the same quantity of the best 

 commercial fertilizers, in March and April. 

 * * * The grass, which is cut before noon, is 

 put up with horse sulky rakes, in cocks, be- 

 fore sun-down," 



Mr Moore's income from this field was from 

 seven thousand to ten thousand dollars a year. 



Mr. Goelsel, of Mobile, says: "It is un- 

 doubtedly the most profitable soiling plant yet 

 introduced, and also promises to be the plant 

 for our Southern hay stacks, provided it can 

 be cut every three or four weeks." 



Note. — Eecognizing all the above, I would 

 say, that great care must be taken not to sow 

 this grass near cultivated lands. If done so, it 

 should not be allowed to go to seed, as the 

 wind will blow them off from the stalks, and 

 when it gets amongst cane or other crops it 

 causes a great deal of trouble. It is almost 

 impossible to get it out of the land. 



RESCUE CRASS. 



( Ceratochloa austraUs or Bromus Schraderii. ) 



It is an annual -ranter gTass. It varies in 

 the time of starting growth. I have seen it 

 ready for mowing the first of October and 

 furnish frequent cuttings till April. Again, it 

 may not start before January, nor be ready to 

 cut till February. This depends upon the 

 moisture and depression of temperature. "VVTien 

 once started, its growth, after the successive 

 cuttings or grazings, is very rapid. It is tender, 



very sweet, and stock eat it greedily. It makes 

 also a good hay. It produces an immense 

 quantity of leaves. On loose soil some of it 

 may be pulled out by animals grazing it. I 

 have seen it bloom as early as November when 

 the season had favored it, and no gi-azing or 

 cutting were permitted. Oftener it makes 

 little start before January But whether late 

 or early starting, it may be grazed or mowed 



