118 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
which will cut otF, and carry away, all the springs; where- 
as if such drains be dug by guess, they may escape such 
points as would effectually rid them of the excess of water. 
— Working Farmer. 
TEE “WILD GEASS” OF COL. STAMFOED-EEPLY 
TO “AGEICOLA.” 
'fo Agricola -y 
My Dear Sir — I noticed your remarks upon the Wild 
Grass in the last November number of the Cultivator, but 
have been too busily engaged in matters of more import- 
ance, to make my bow to you at an earher day, and hope 
you will excuse the neglect. 
You are incredulous as to the qualities of the grass of 
which I gave a description, and volunteer the opinion that 
it is Multicaulus,^' or a humbug, arid appear to be as- 
tonished at the price. Permit me to inform you that I am 
not disposed to sell it for less, (whatever I may chose to 
do in the way of giving it to personal friends) because I 
wish first to furnish seed for 20 or 30 acres on my own 
plantation, and until I have done so, I consider it worth 
more than the price asked. 
After the three years experience I have had with this 
grass, were all the seed lost, down to the thimble full I be- 
gan with, I would cheerfully give one dollar for each in- 
dividual seed of it ; and as it is not my intention to supply 
any one (in the coming season) with more than half a pint 
of seed, no one can be ’■'■nmilticauluseF out of more than 
one dollar, should it fail in his location. After the trouble 
of putting up the seed neatly to go by mail, I do not be- 
lieve this will be any very great speculation. No one is 
obliged to buy it at the price, and if they do not, I may, in 
lime, be able to sell the whole crop o f 200 or 300 bushels 
at ten dollars per husheV^ I think it will then pay better, 
a»d you, or some “witty” friend of yours, may “buy it on 
speculation.” 
By the more respectful notice you take of the “Rescue 
Grass,” many might well suppose that you had some inter- 
est in the “cruy speculation at ten doUojrs per tusheV^ on 
that grass, and from the description T have had of it, 
each seed is about the size of a grain of oats; if so there 
would be about ten times as much in a bushel wild grass 
seed as in the ‘Rescue” and the price would, consequent- 
ly, be nearly the same. The “Rescue” speculation would 
then be upon hundreds of bushels, while mine would be 
confined to a few half pints ; and this does really look like 
a little sly side puffing of the “Rescue,” with a bold hit at 
what is feared as a rival grass. But rest easy ; I shall let 
the grass do its own puffing ; and if you cannot afford to 
pay for the seed, write me, under your proper address, 
and I will send you some free of cost, which you may sell 
if you please, at '■'■one dollar the teaspoonfuV 
But to leave off this waste of ammunition, by firing 
in the bush at an invisible adversary, I am satisfied that 
my wild grass is a perennial winter green and the best grass 
that has ever been cultivated in this part of Georgia, (lati- 
tude 34^^ 40') and am only anxious to ascertain whether it 
will produce as well in a sandy soil and warmer climate, 
it was for this reason that I offered seed in such small 
quantities as could be sent by mail, before I was prepared 
to dispose of any. The experiment may prove to be of 
great advantage to the lower part of the State, and if it 
fails it cannot seriously injure any one. 
As to the Rescue Grass, I have no doubt it deserves 
the high character the press has given it, but as it is ad- 
mitted to be an annual grass, and therefore must be an- 
nually sown, like wheat or oats, it certainly cannot, in 
®conomy, compare with a perennial grass, unless it should 
greatly excel in the weight of the crop or in nutritious 
qualities; of the amount of crop it produces, I am not 
informed, nor have I made any estimate of the weight 
per acre of my wild grass. I can only say that it 
grows thickly on the ground, from three to five and a 
half feet high^ stands up well, and that it is as tender from 
the stem end up to where it branches for seed, as Timothy 
or Herds Grass; that it has produced equally good crops 
on the same ground (without re-sowing) for the last three 
years, and without manure of any kind, and is now (Feb. 
14) green, in good condition, and 6 inches high, notwith- 
standing that it has been left to ripen its seed every year, 
which is considered to be injurious to the growth of all 
grasses. Respectfully, John R. Stanford. 
Clarksville, Ga,, 1855. 
LICE ON CATTLE. 
Messrs. Editors — Having seen in the Cultivator 
many articles on the subject of Lice on Cattle, and one in 
particular from B. N, Andrews, Waterbury, Ct., I beg to 
reply thereto. I am accustomed to purchase cattle from 
droves in the fall for wintering, and have been greatly 
troubled in this way ; and having tried tobacco, oils of 
various kinds, skimmings of the pot where pork had been 
boiled, <fcc., and finding all very objectionable, rendering 
the hair of the creatures rough and filthy, I resorted to 
other means, and found them better. Having purchased a 
pair of cattle with sore necks all covered with lice, some 
one told me to bathe them with N. E. rum ; I did so, and 
it killed all the vermin that it came in contact with, and 
healed their sores at the same time. It may be applied 
most conveniently with a sponge ; I have used it for three 
years, and find it not only effectual but cheaper than any 
other dressing ; half a pint, the cost of four cents, being 
sufficient to kill the vermin of any ox cow ; and I think 
that tobacco, unguentum or grease need not be cheaper ; 
besides which, it leaves the hair clean and smooth. It 
may require to be used twice, as some nits of the vermin 
may hatch after the first application. It is also an excel- 
remedy for the sore shoulders or back of galled horses, as 
well as lameness or hurts in all kinds of cattle, as also, 
the sore or cracked teats of milk cows. It should be dis- 
guised with camphor or other harmless article and be kept 
in every barn, or under lock and key, as it may possibly 
evavorate under some latitudes ! G. D. G. 
[Boston CulUvatoT. 
LOP-EAEED MADAGASCAE BABBITS. 
Messrs. Editors — It is now many months since I took 
advantage of the wide circulation of the Southern Culti- 
vator to inform applicants that it was impossible for me to 
furnish any more Rabbits till the numerous orders on hand 
had been filled. This has now been done. My Rabbiiry 
has been enlarged, and I now have some half dozen extra 
pairs of fine, young Rabbits which I will dispose of as per 
enclosed advertisement, which I will thank you to insert. 
Since my article on the Rabbits, which I penned more 
from my knowledge in England than my ex|.erience in 
America, I find some things in relation to these little ani- 
mals should be corrected. For instance, in this warm 
climate the breeding hutch should net be less than four 
feet long, two feet wide and sixteen inches high ; the floor 
should not have more than one inch of drip to the back, and 
the opening there, for drainage, not wider than half an 
inch. 
The most thorough ventilation is necessary to the health 
of the rabbits. Any taint from crowded hutches, and close 
rooms, is ruinous. 
In feeding, I would warn the Rabbit breeder against 
the use of lettuce when going to seed, for then its narcotic 
principle is too powerful , and will cause death, 
I recommend a full supply of hay when roots only arc 
used for green food, as it furnish the necessary bulk which 
oats only would not do, excepting when fed in combina- 
tion with succulent vegetables. 
Notwithstanding water is so entirely interdicted by 
