336 
SOUTHHRN CULTIVATOR. 
Joseph Gray, Esq., of this village. It is designed, mainly ^ 
for the use of the planter, to enable him to adjust his “side 
hill ditches ” on any desired grade, and to lay off his rows 
on a “ true level,” (as many think they should be). We 
are unprepared, at present, to go into a minute description 
of the invention, but we feel authorized to say, that it is 
the intention of Mr. Gray to get the instrument before 
the public at as early a day as possible. But little delay, 
we presume, will ensue, as Mr. Gray informs us that a 
model of the instrument has already been deposited with 
the Commissioner of Patents at Washington City. A 
beautiful drawing of the instrument, by Munn & Co., 
New York, has been procured by the inventor, and may 
be seen by any one who wishes to examine it, by inquiry 
at the Raymond post office. The instrument may be re- 
garded as one of the most important inventions of the 
day, and cannot fail to be well received by the public, as 
it has already met the decided approval of many expe- 
rienced planters, as well as that of civil engineers and 
scientific men who have critically examined the drawing. 
— Hinds Co. {Miss.,) Gazette, Sept. 23. 
BERMUDA GRASS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In the August num- 
ber of your paper, there are some inquiries made by “ W. J.” 
of Jasper, Tennessee, respecting Bermuda Grass. He can- 
not have been a reader of the Cultivator for many years, 
©r he would have seen enough on that subject to hava 
convinced him, that he had better let it alone. He does 
not say for what purpose he wants it; if for a grazing lot, 
■I know of nothing better, but before he gets it, I would 
advise him to consult his neighbors on the subject, see if 
any of them know any thing about it; if they know as 
much as I do, they will tell him of the dagger he is get- 
ting into, or if he wishes it for a grazing lot, I advise him 
to prepare his land as you have directed, and then build a 
stonewall around it; dig down for a foundation, and 
then put his wall in lime mortar ; this is to make sure that 
the grass shall go no further. There would then be dan- 
ger, if he suffered cows to be on his lot, as they might 
carry some on other grounds when let out. This they 
could do by having some of the runners stuck between 
their toes or hoofs. And furthermore, I know of my 
own knowledge, that joints of the runners will pass 
through a cow and then take root and grow. I see that 
you refer W. J. to Col. Cunningham of Greensboro. I 
presume, that if you knew as much about this 
grass as Col. Cunningham and many others that I could 
name, that you would change your word, and say it is 
difficult to destroy and not easy controled. I have seen 
thousands of acres of this grass, but never have seen one 
acre tall enough to make hay to any advantage. You 
speak of its beeing propagated by clumps of sod contain- 
ing roots ; this would do, but a much more convenient and 
cheaper plan, is to take only the runners, trim all the 
roots off, cut those runners in short pieces — they may be 
sent by mail many thousand of miles — then bury them 
in moist earth and they will soon begin to show signs of 
vitality. It is the runners of this grass that we dread, as 
to the roots, it is no more than other grass, only every 
joint of the runners, if it touches the ground, will take 
root, which is the way it spreads. The joints are fi om 
1 to 3 or 4 inches apart, according to the strength of the 
land and the seasons or moisture ; in good land, and good 
seasons it will spread about three feet or more in one sea- 
son. I consider it so hard to destroy, that if I were to 
have a bit of land dug up where there is a thick stand of 
it, and so thoroughly pulverised as to pass it through a sieve, 
I should expect to see some make its appearance shortly 
after. It will make but little difference what time of the 
year those runners are gathered and transported : as soon 
as received, bury them, and possession of the land is all 
the right wanted ; gullies will be stopped, and branches 
turned, &c., &c. I write this in part for the benefit of a 
brother I have in Virginia, as I have lately understood that 
he is wanting to get some to make a trial of it as grazing 
grass. I could say a great deal more on this subject. We 
all admit it is a good grass for grazing and preserving land, 
there is no chance of washing those runners : they do not 
run under the land, but on the surface, taking root at 
every joint, and thrives much the best on land recently 
cultivated. I could tell that I have more than a 150 acres 
in this grass under fence for pasturage ; and I could tell 
that at some times I have all my hands employed, clean- 
ing off spots in other fields that we cannot afford to give 
up. It appears some times that we have got those spots 
entirely clear, but after a while, there is a plenty ready for 
another cleaning. Yours respectfully, 
.loHN FaRP.AR. 
Atlanta, Ga., Sept., 1857. 
P. S. After saying this much, respecting the dificulty 
of destroying this grass, I am ready to admit it can be 
done, but at such an expense or outlay of labor, that but 
few will try it, and if tried at all, it v.till het m small spots. 
It must be covered by something besides earth, and that 
so close and thick as to exclude all light and air. 
THE GRAPE CUL.TURE. 
{Concluded from our last, page 301.) 
WINE MAKING. 
Most of the wine made in- Georgia hitherto has been 
made in small quantities and for domestic use, after the 
plan of Herbemont, of South Carolina. Grapes should 
be gathered in dry weather if possible, and after the dew 
is off the ground. There is a considerable difference in 
the quality of the wine in favor of their being gathered 
dry. Grapes should be perfectly ripe before they are 
gathered (they should be gathered in buckets) ; but as 
some kinds do not ripen evenly, all the green berries 
should be picked off and laid by for vinegar. It is the 
practice of some to pick the ripe berries and mash them 
in a trough or barrels, and throw the entire contents into 
a stand to ferment ; on a large scale, however, it is best 
to throw the bunches into the troughs (after the unripe 
and faulty berries are removed) and mash them gently 
with a pestle, and then put them in the press and squeeze 
out the juice and put it into stands or vats, the tops of 
which must be covered with a cloth to prevent flies and 
insects from getting into the must. Pressing the grapes 
on the comb or bunch imparts to some wine a peculiar 
and agreeable flavor. After the must has been twenty- 
four hours or less in the vat, and when a cone is forming 
in the centre, then draw out the must, and to each gallon 
of must, add (to Warren or Devereux) about one and a 
half pounds of sugar; to Scupper nong, Catawba, Isabella 
and Muscadine, two pounds of sugar — good Muscovado 
or clarified sugar will do for the red wines, and crushed or 
loaf for the white. Then fill the casks or demijohns to 
within three inches of the bung hole, so that when the 
violent fermentation occurs the scum may not flow over ; 
after the violent ebulition is over, say on the second or 
third day, fill the casks to near the bung so as to bring 
the scum to the top that it may be removed with the 
handle of a spoon. Continue then to fill the cask to the 
brim, and keep a cloth over the bung to keep off insects* 
When the fermentation ceases, which will be in three 
weeks or more, put on the bung loosely and examine the 
wine occasionally and if the fermentation recurs, then fill 
up the casks with old wine, and so continue every few 
days till the wine becomes perfectly still. Then bung up 
the casks tight and let it remain till the next spring, when 
if any evidence of fermentation is observed, fill up the 
casks with old wine j bung up tight and let it remain lo 
