56 
THE GRASS QUESTION. 
[The following: is an abridgment of one of the chapters contained in " Marl<et Gardening and Farm Notes," and serves to indicate the 
treatment of subjects.] 
INTRODUCTJON. 
THE GlEiASS QXJiSS'T'IOM'. 
"Go to grass " is a slangy expression, but one which 
without offense, indeed with tlie best of motives, might 
be said to a multitude of farmers in the corn-growing 
States and to a still greater number in the cotton States 
of this country. 
It may be stated in a general way that the capacity of 
land to grow desirable grasses is the measure of its agri- 
cultural value and the extent and success in the practice 
of growing grass indicates the degree of advancement 
of a farmer in the scale of merit, for, without grass, 
although he may produce some poor stringy beef, he can- 
not grow good mutton nor wool, nor will he have plenty 
of hay, and following and as an outgrowth of good' hay 
and lots of it, that important farm manufactory known 
as the barnyard — witness the half-million farms in the 
South which never knew a barnyard in its practical 
sense as a manufactory for manure. 
The farm, county or state which cannot produce its 
own pasturage for Spring, Suminer and Autumn, and its 
own hay for Winter, is only half way up in the agricul- 
tural scale, be its other crops ever so profitable, for it is 
a dependant on other sections for an agricultural staple. 
In locations where such protracted drought prevails as 
to burn up the present standard perennial grass, there 
are badly needed other varieties of grasses Avhich will 
resist drought and remaining green under hot sun con- 
tinue to furnish a nutritious bite when others have suc- 
cumbed. Bermuda grass, a perennial from the West 
Indies, to some e.xteut fills the requirements, but it has 
the objectionable characteristics of sometimes making 
itself a nuisance by its persistence.. 
While the test of years and the experience of nations 
point to certain perennial varieties of grass as stand- 
ards on ordinary farming soils, it sometimes occurs that 
wild or native sorts have high mei'it in their respective 
locality. For instance, many of the so-called wild an- 
nual grasses of the Southern States so frequently looked 
upon by the planter as nuisances, especially those that 
strive to take possession of cultivated fields during 
conditions of Summer heat, almost deadly to standard 
varieties of grass and other farm crops, are many of 
them, even though some be annual sorts, just the types 
to carry coarse- wooled American sheep through siich 
trying seasons, conditions more serious to contemplate 
than the finding of Winter subsistence. For in respect 
to Winter feeding of sheep or other cattle the South has 
a great advantage over the North in possessing a climate 
encouraging grass to grow continuously, an elimination 
from the costs of sheep husbandry of the Northern ex- 
penses of housing the animals and the storage and costs 
of Winter feeding. 
The physical characteristics of grasses must be studied 
by the thoughtful farmer as respects their adaptability 
to his special soils, climate and purpose ; for instance, 
varieties doing well on dry land should not be sown on 
heavy, low, damp situations, nor others affording a lux- 
uriant and nutritious feed for pastured cattle, but of a 
habit of forming high tussocks, should not be sown with 
the expectation of machine mowing ; nor again should 
other sorts specially adapted to cutting green and feed- 
ing in the pen or stable, but which like Lucerne have 
their crowns so elevated above the earth level as to be 
nibbled off by sheej), be sown for sheep grazing. 
Profitable farming in the Southern States can best be 
developed and diversified by diverting from the ordi- 
nary system of cultivation or worse neglect, large areas 
to pasturage and liay fields of Blue grass. Clover, Al- 
faha, Alsike and Incarnatum, or better in some locations 
wild grasses, thus enabling planters to feed some mill- 
ions of sheep and clip six times as many millions of 
unwashed wool, supplemental to which would follow an 
extended culture in corn and oats. 
It is self-evident that to realize the wealth which mill- 
ions of sheep witli their mutton and wool would add to 
the South there must be less acreage in cotton and a 
greater acreage in grass, for, while IMexican sheep hav- 
ing some of the qualities of the goat may live on such 
stuff as thistles and cactus, the finer-bred sheep must 
have an ample supply of succulent grass, with hay, corn 
and oats. There is an old proverb which is very true, 
" no grass no cattle, no cattle no manure, no manure no 
crops or to illustrate the idea in other language, there 
is a French proverb that grass is a synonym for " bread, 
beef, mutton and clothing." 
Sheep farming naturally follows an advance in grass 
farming, but the grass must be provided befoi'e the 
sheep. When obtained the two preserve the fertility of 
good lands and under good management restore those 
classed as unfertile and enrich the State. Nearly every 
farm of 200 acres arable land can support a flock of 
thirty to forty sheep, and if it is not in condition to do 
so, its owner should not rest till with clover, corn, rye 
and other green manures he has brought up his fnrm 
to that desirable condition. 
He need have little fear of overproduction of wool, 
as the annual consumption in the United States amounts 
to 600,000,000 pounds of unwashed wool whicli may be 
estimated as the clip froin 100,000,000 sheep. The 
If you want yarietios of seed NOT ki'pt l)y your inerehant he can get them for you or you can write to us. 
For further iuforraatiou ou GKASSICS see page 55. 
