LETTERS FROM CALIFORNIA. NO. 3. 
221 
the same relief will be afforded as by running the 
tube down the throat. 
In the meanwhile, warm a quart of milk, to 
which add half a pint of molasses, an ounce of 
anise seed, and a table-spoonful of sweet oil ; mix 
the whole together, and inject, with a common glis- 
ter pipe and bag, into the rectum. This will stim- 
ulate the entrails, keep warm and alive the blood, 
till the respiration of the animal can be recovered. 
If a glister of this sort cannot be had, bruise an 
onion, mix with butter and pepper, and put it up 
the fundament. This will have a similar effect as 
the one last named. 
After the violence of the disease has abated, the 
following purging medicine may be administered, 
in order to throw off the accumulation of food in 
the stomach, which is all that is necessary to effect 
a eure : — 
Take, Epsom salts, \%, lbs. ; althaea ointment, 3 oz. ; salt- 
petre. 3£ oz. ; powdered fenugreek, 1^2 oz. ; powdered mus- 
tard seed. 1>2 oz. 
To be given, at one dose, in three quarts of gruel 
in which two ounces of soap have previously been 
dissolved. 
One or the other of the above methods should be 
immediately applied ; for, half an hour, and fre- 
quently a less time, terminates the disease by death 
or recovery. Therefore it is necessary to be ex- 
peditious. Do not listen to those who tell you 
about danger from the knife. It mrsy, and some- 
times does fail ; but without it, or the other method, 
the loss of your cow is almost certain. 
♦ 
CULTIVATION OF GRASSES AT THE SOUTH. 
Shortly after commencing operations at this 
place, I began the cultivation of the northern grasses, 
and thinking I might succeed on the flat lands, ad- 
joining the marsh and river and the higher parts of 
the marsh itself, I was induced to have ditches cut, 
and dams thrown up with a tide gate to let out the 
overflow of fresh water, and to close at the flowing 
of the tide, which always takes place whenever we 
have an easterly blow. For a few years, I was 
much pleased with the prospect of success, but as 
soon as the belt at the ocean began to give way and 
many inlets formed, the salt water commenced flow- 
ing in upon us, which was so greatly impregnated 
with salt as to disappoint my expectations, by kill- 
ing the grass and rendering the soil barren to every- 
thing but worthless water bushes and rushes. - 
I have been much pleased in perusing the short 
extracts taken from Allen's American Farm Book, 
on grasses, meadows, and pastures, and have been 
.nduced to collect and forward you several kinds of 
native grasses, which I find growing spontaneous 
on my plantation. The class of soils on which they 
are found are of different locations from the flat 
lands near the river to the hill side and ditch bank 
of hard clay, in which it seems to grow and flour- 
ish. The gamma grass is one of these kinds. Hav- 
ing only a limited knowledge of Botany, I am quite 
ignorant of the proper names of these grasses, and 
should be much gratified, in deriving some informa- 
tion from you on each kind sent you. =•-;• 
The gamma grass I am familiar with, and if you 
feave never seen it, you will readily distinguish it 
i'?om the others by its wide fodder-like leaf and 
btrong root, which resembles the lily and flag. 
Th is is a very valuable grass to the southern farmer, 
and can be propagated either by the seed or plant ; 
but it will not do for stock to run on it longer than 
the 10th of May, as the continued grazing of the 
cattle will destroy the roots by plucking the tender 
shoots, which more readily pulls out than break 
off at the root. When mowed, which can be done 
after the cattle have been removed in the spring, I 
have known this grass to grow three inches in five 
days ; and in thirty or forty days, if the soil is 
strong and calcareous, it can be cut with the sickle 
or Dutch hook, which is the best mode of doing 
it. While young and tender, it makes excellent 
food for milch cows, the cream and butter soon 
showing the deep yellow and fine flavor ; and while 
curing in the shade, which is much the best, the 
fragrant scent of this grass is perceptible for many 
yards. J. B. Marsh. 
Belmont, Pamlico River, N. C, May, 1849. 
We have received the above-named grasses, for 
which we are much obliged. We deem the investi- 
gation of the subject of grasses one of the most 
important for every section of the Union, as their pro- 
duct far exceeds in value every other grown. 
LETTERS FROM CALIFORNIA.— No. 3. 
Finding some leisure on my hands, I jumped into 
a light wherry, with half a dozen jovial spirits, at 
this now great place of San Francisco, and availing 
ourselves of a light breeze that swept over the nar- 
row belt which separated us from the broad Pacific, 
we rapidly glided over the scarcely-ruffled waters 
of the bay northwardly. We shot past the now 
bright " emerald isles" of Yerba Buena, Angelos, 
and Molate, thence through the strait to the bay of 
San Pablo, thence through the bay eastwardly till 
we entered the strait of Karquines. which leads 
direct to Suissun (or Sooson,) bay, the recipient of 
the Sacramento and San Joaquin. Just after enter- 
ing the strait, we turned suddenly to the left and 
pursued our way in a northerly direction through 
an irregularly expanding sheet of water. This 
was the outlet of the Napa Creek, the upper part 
of which was the point of our destination. The 
wind that had so fortunately aided us thus far, now 
gave out, and we had to resort to our oars, which 
we had taken the precaution to bring with us. The 
stock of eatables with which we had abundantly 
provided ourselves, had nerved us for the occasion, 
and we sped away past the varying and pictur- 
esque scenery which now presented itself to our 
admiring gaze. 
The shores of the water which had been our 
route were sometimes low, flat, alluvial mud, and 
sometimes bold promontories, or basalt or lime- 
stone. Immovable in their jutting fastnesses of 
everlasting adamant, they seemed to embody the 
genii of the place, and nodded their stern warning 
to us, that we should do their country and people 
no harm. Up this verdant and delightful valley 
we pushed, till approaching night and our wearied 
arms invited us to repose. Not having sufficient 
room for the accommodation of all on board, we 
pitched our tent on shore, and after having kindled 
our fire by which we were to cook our supper and 
warm ourselves through the night, we dispatched 
our culinary and gastronomic duties, then taking 
