i ae 
.* =e 
GARDEN MANUAL FOR 
THE SOUTHERN STATES. 103 
United States in the first quarter of the 
past century, English Rye is largely sown 
by our landscape gardeners for winter 
lawns on Bermuda sod. The Bermuda 
blades being easily affected by frost be- 
come red and rusty looking, while 
English Rye during winter presents a 
most beautiful appearance, being of a 
Vivid green, and as the Bermuda during 
April and May makes it appearance it 
overgrows the english Rye, causing the 
the existing grass. It should be sown 
from September to March, at the rate of 
3 bushels of seed per acre. 
Red Top Grass. 
Red Top Grass. (Agrostis Vulgaris). 
This is the best grass of England, the 
herd grass of the United States; not in 
honor of any man, but probably because 
so well adapted to the herd. It is called 
also Fine Top Burden’s Grass. It grows 
two to three feet high, and can be mown 
when four feet high. It grows well on 
hill tops and sides, in ditches, gullies and 
marshes, but delights in moist bottom 
land. It furnishes considerable grazing 
during warm “spells” in winter, and in 
. spring and summer an abundant supply 
of nutrition. It has a tendency, being 
very hardy, to increase in density of 
growth and extent of surface, and will 
dued by .the plow. Cut before maturing 
seeds it makes a good hay and large 
quantity. Red Top and Timothy being 
adapted to the same soil and maturing 
at the same time, do well together and 
produce an excellent hay. Sow two 
bushels per acre, if alone, in September, 
October, February or March; if with 
Timothy for hay from 6 to 10 pounds, if 
with other grasses for pasture, 3 to 5 
pounds. It is an excellent pasturage 
latter to decay and act as a fertilizer to | grass, and will grow on almost any kind 
of soil. 
Bermuda Grass. (Cynodon Dactylon). 
Almost everybody living in this section 
of the country knows this grass; it is 
planted as a Lawn grass, and nothing 
will stand the sun better, or will make a 
prettier carpet when kept short, than 
this grass. It is also very valuable as a 
pasture and hay grass. It is only of late 
years that we have been able to obtain 
the seed of this grass, which heretofore 
bad to be propagated by the roots, 6 
pounds will sow an acre. Should be 
| planted in the spring, but can also be 
continue indefinitely, though easily sub- | 
Under the most favorable 
circumstances it takes from 60 to 90 
days to sprout; requires damp weather 
and hot sun; but when once up it grows 
very rapidly. 
Seed Rye. This crop is used all over 
the South for fall, winter and spring 
pasturage, early green food, and for 
green manuring as well as for grain. 
Rye is very hardy, and will grow on 
poorer land than other grain crops. It 
makes good winter and spring pasture. 
and, if sown early enough, makes a good 
fall pasture, also. It is a good spring 
soiling crop, giving the earliest bite of 
green stuff, makes a fair quality of hay if 
cut in bloom, or before it is fully headed 
out. It is very extensively grown, and 
succeeds well throughout the South. 
Rye can be very satisfactorily sown at 
the last working of corn or cotton, or it 
can be sown by itself from July to 
November. Sow at the rate of 1% 
bushels per acre. 
Italian Rye is coming into great favor 
wherever it is grown. Sown in the fall 
it comes up quickly and makes a dense, 
matter turf, which gives most excellent 
grazing during the'fall, winter and early 
spring. If it is desired to be used as a 
hay crop, it should not be grazed too long 
in the spring, as it shoots up very early 
making a thick growth of grass which 
when cut, cures up splendidly for hay. 
With a favorable season, it will yield 
three or four successive cuttings of 
sown later. 
Best of all Beans, we know of no better for all purposes. | 
