208 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
STANFORD’S WILD GRASS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — At the time I sent 
to Dr. Lee a specimen of my Wild Grass, which he noticed 
in the Cultivator of last August, I also sent specimens to 
Professor Bachman, of Charleston, S. C., and Asa Gray, 
of Massachusetts, and Mr. Jacob Stauffer, of Pennsyl- 
vania, who all agree that it is a species of the Oat Grass; 
their opinions upon it are herewith enclosed, and you can 
publish abbreviated portions of them or the v.mole, as you 
may think proper. I also sent seed to Jacob B. Garber, 
Esq., of Pennsylvania and Noah Strong, Esq., of Missis- 
sippi; both of whom speak very highly of it and are satis- 
fied that it suits the climate of these locations, and from this 
I conclude that it will grow and do better than any other 
grass in cultivation in the United States. 
R. Peters, Esq., of Atlanta, and Dr. Chas. M. Reese, 
of Athens, have both sent me specimens of grass that they 
believe to be identical with mine; they are both alike, 
but I do not think they are identically the same, though 
evidently of the same family, as the stem is larger and 
coarser and disposed to be a little woody, while mine is 
as tender as timothy. I have half an acre, sowed broad- 
cast on low ground last September, and at present it is as 
high and looks as flourishing as some wheat that is grow- 
ing alongside of it. 
I do not know whether it will last longer than 4 years 
upon the same ground. The little parcel that I first sowed 
in 1851, although it gave a good crop, last year, has run 
out the present: this, however, may have occurred be- 
cause I left it to ripen its seed every year since it was 
sowed, and this always weakens the growth, besides 
which, it has never had a particle of manure of any kind 
since or before it was first sown. 
It has never given but one crop in the year, but I be- 
lieve if cut when in bloom, (the proper time for cutting all 
grasses for hay) it would yield two or perhaps more. I 
shall try this the present season and report the result. 
John R. Stanford. 
Clarksville, Ga., May, 1856. 
[For price of seed see advertisement in our present num- 
ber ] 
John R. Stanford, Esq ., — Dear Sir : — In looking over 
my herbarium this morning I find a couple of specimens 
of grass and your letter folded up with them. I had for 
gotten having placed them there until I turned over my 
long neglected plants to answer some inquiries made b}’^ 
others. Idease excuse my unintentional neglect. 
I have been so much occupied in other matters, that I 
have not read an agricultural paper for the last 18 months. 
My son, who is a farmer in Georgia and reads these pa - 1 
pers, informs me that there has been much discussion re- 
specting this species, and ihat it is, by some Botanists re- 
ferred to, the {avena elatior) Tall Oat Grass of Europe, 
whilst others are of a contrary opir ion. 
I have carefully examined it and compared it with many 
specimens from Europe and America. It is, as the genus 
is now constituted, the Arrhenathernm avenaceum ofBeau- 
voes. The English name, Common Oat like Grass. Hol- 
cus Scop. Eng. Bot 813, Avena elatior, of Lennaeus. In 
France I saw it cultivated and producing luxuriant crops. 
It is there designated by the name of L'Avoine elcvee, and 
is much valued for its productiveness. When I was in 
England in 1838, they had just commenced making ex- 
periments with this grass, w^hilst in France it was more 
cultivated than any other species of grass. There is ano- 
ther native species in England with bulbous roots (Arr- 
henatherum bvlAosvm. Bulbous Rooted Oat Grass, or 
Knot Grass, that is by some supposed to be a mere vari- 
ety of the other. I presume yours has fibrous and bul- 
bous roots. It is a perennial grass — has become natural- 
ized in various parts of our country. My specimens were 
obtained on the shores of the Santee River, on the plan- 
tation of the late Maj. Porcher, where it had spread over 
several acres of ground. I am at present unacquainted 
with any grass that I would sooner cultivate, with a more 
certain prospect of success, than the species here referred 
to. 
I congratulate you on having found a grass that pcomi.s- 
es so fair to become a great benefit to the country. 
I remain, with great respect, 
Yours truly, John Bachman. 
ChoMestmi, Sept. 24, 1855. 
Mr. Stanford, — Dear Sir : — The grass enclosed in 
your favor of the 7th inst., is the Tall Oat Grass.{Arrh^'.>^i- 
therura o.venaceuvi). 
It is a grass now found over much of the world, not rare 
here at the North, but not much cultivated here. But in 
the South I should think it would prove to be, as you say, 
a most valuable grass indeed. I am always glad, vrhen I 
can, to answer your questions. I remain 
Yours very respectfully, Asa Gr/sy. 
Cambridge, Mass., June 18, 1855. 
J. B. Garber, Respected Friend of the 
5th came to hand, with the enclosed grasses. I made an 
immediate examination, and have ray notes by me. Owing 
to interruption, and subsequent absence, I did not make so 
thorough or careful an analysis of them as I should have 
done, and trusting to the seed sown in my garden for other 
specimens, I find onl}'^ one stalk in flower. 
No. 2 I would call Arrenatherum {Beaver) Oat-grass 
Grass of the Andes. The A. avenaceum — spikelets open, 
panicled, 2-flowered with the rudiments of a third (ter- 
minal) flower; the middle flower perfect, lower pale 
bristle pointed, the lowest staminate only bearing the long 
bent awn below the middle of the back — whehce the 
name masculine a.ndiawn, otherwise like the common oat 
family. Supposed to be introduced from Europe. It may, 
howetjer, be a different species when thoroughly com- 
pared. 
Pardon me for my delay, and accept the best informa- 
tion I can at present impart, hoping at a future period to 
be able to be more definite. 
I am, very truly, yours for progress in 
Art and Science, 
Jacob Stauffer. 
Mount Joy, July 13, 1855. 
LEVEL CULTURE-COL CANNON’S METHOD. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— I thank you for hav- 
ing requested “Southron” to give us Col. Cannon's method 
of leveling lands, in a perfectly plain, practical way, that 
all who wish to try it may go forward v/ith the work, 
without the least fear of any mishaps. Various methods 
have been proposed through the medium of the Cultivator 
and other agricultural journals, to prevent injury to lands 
from excessive falls of rain, and all are reported to have 
done well, except occasionally, during an unprecedented 
fall of rain. Some place which had not been fixed^ pre- 
cisely right, a breach had occurred, and the lands had, 
consequently, suffered more or less injury. 
The advocates of the grading system are not agreed 
among themselves. Some propose that the rows should 
run parallel with, and have the same inclination of the 
ditches; others, again, say incline your ditches, but run 
your rows level. And recently, another writer suggests 
a plan in the ditching arrangement, by which we shall be 
enabled to arrest the fat of the land which is being borne 
away by the water in the ditches, from the richer portions 
of our fields, and to have them deposited (in the ditches) 
just at points where they are mostly needed, to wit: those 
red spots. And, lastly, we have the method (not yet in 
