78 Eicliard Frotsclier's Almariac and Garden Manual 



grass is perennial and has cane-like roots, or more properly uu- 

 dergTound stems, from the size of a goose-quill to tiiar of the lit- 

 tle 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 dereloping a bud. 

 Hence the grass is readily propagated from root cuttings. It is 

 also propagated from the seed, but not always so certainly ; for 

 in some localities many faulty seeds are produced, and in other 

 places no seed are matured. Before sowing the seed, thereiore, 

 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 suf- 

 ficient 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 ren- 

 der it so coarse and hard that animals refuse it, or eat sparingly. 



A tew testimonials are here quoted to give an idea of the pro- 

 ductiveness and vabae of this plant. In a letter published in the 

 Eural Carolinian for 1874, Mr. X. B. Moore, who had for more 

 than forty years grown crops, sjoeaks 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 packing-press; in summer, when harvest- 

 ing, 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, wnich, with volunteer vetches, comes 

 off about the middle of May. The second yield of clover is uni- 

 formly eaten up by grasshoppers. The tap root remains to fer- 

 tilize the then coming Guinea grass, which should be cut 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 averHge 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, before sundown.*' 



Mr. Moore's income from this field was from seven thousand to 

 ten thousand dollars a year. 



Mr. Goelsel, of Mobile, says : ^' It is undoubtedly the most 

 profitable soiling phmr yet introduced, and also promises to be 

 the plant for our Southera hay stacks, provided it can be cut 

 every three or four weeks.-' 



XoTE — Eecognizing all the above, I would say, that great care 

 must be taken not to sow this grass near cultivated lauds. If 

 done, 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 impos- 

 sible to set it out of the land. 



