SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR 
287 
tffiB ‘‘RESCUE’* Ain) TALL OATS GRASSES IN 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
Ebrross Socthern Cultiyhtor — A s seyernl of your 
Amtkern correspondents have given their experience of 
&o“R«scue” Grass, in the July number the CuUii'oior, it 
May wot be amiss to give a short notice of its “prospects” 
im this section — latitude 40'^ north. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Iverson, I received a pack- 
-age of the seed by mail last autumn. Doubting its hardi- 
aess, to withstand our cold winter, as a precautionary 
aieasure, I sowed only one-half the eeed in the fall ; it 
aame up well, but the very dry condition of the ground 
prevented it from establishing itself as it would have done 
had the soil been more moist. The result was, that, from 
drouth or cold, or both, every plant perished. The bal- 
ance of the seed I sowed about the 1st of April ; this grew 
and is now in flower, promising to produce an abundance 
•f seed ; it is from six to twelve inches high; is very 
sparce in leaves, and would, consequently, produce a very 
hght crop of pasture or hay. Comparing it with our 
Timothy or Red Clover, it will produce less than one 
tenth of either of these grasses. Consequently, it will be 
•f no value so far north. 
In this connection, I may also mention a species of 
wild gra.ss sent me by Mr. Stanford, of your State, and I 
which he designates as “Wild Oat Grass,” said to have 
l>een found in the mountains of Arkansas, or Rocky ' 
Mountain.s — uncertain which locality. This grass w’as I 
«owed alongside of the “Rescue;”' is much hardier, and 
withstood our severe w'inter — slightly injured. It is now, 
both fall and spring sowing, in flower; grows two to three 
feet high, wdth a profusion of leaves ; it would cut a heavy 
swath, and may become valuable for pasturage or hay. 
From its close resemblance to our “Tall Meadow Oat,” 1 
•onsider it to be clo.sely related to that variety of grass. 
Both of these grasses, from their early inflorescence, 
May possibly prove to be annual, or barely biennial ; and 
if so, would not be near so vtiluabie as perennials. Should 
the “Wild Out Grass” remain on the ground without de 
teriorating for two or three years, it may become a valu 
able acquisition to our list of grasses, and peculiarly so to 
■fce South. Respectfully, J. B. Garber. 
Columbia, Pa., July, ISoo. 
RESCUE GRASS— BROMUS—CKEAT, &C. 
He, however, being unable to satisfy himself, sent a speci« 
men to Dr. Torrky, an eminent and well know'n botan- 
ist, and Professor in the University of New Y'ork, who 
informed him that the name of the grass was Ceratochloa 
Breviaristata, (short awned horn grass,) and referred him 
to Hooker’s late work on Botany, for a full description of it. 
I could not find this genus in any of my botanical book* 
and, of course, came to the conclusion that it was a new 
genus and something super-excellent. But when it began 
to blossom and go to seed I could examine it for myself, 
which I did, and found all its botanical characters to agree 
with Bromus, a family of grasses described by Lin.N£US^ 
and contained in all the books of Botany. The elder 
Pliny, in his Natural History, speaks of a grass which he 
calls Bromos and is translated wild oats. 1 inn.el's re- 
tained the name for this particular family of grasses and 
his Biomus Secalinus is what we call Chiat, a pest in 
wheat fields. The Ceratochloa, if 1 am not very much 
mistaken, is only a new species of Bromus, and first cousin 
to Cheat. It is a real winter grass, seeds itself, spi’eads 
and grows vigorously. 1 "would advise small grain farmer# 
to beware of it. 
Let a field be sowed in Rescue Grass in the fall and pas- 
tured or fallowed the next winter, spring and summer and 
the succeeding autumn sowed down in wheat, there would 
most certainly ensue a contest between tlie grass and 
wheat and the victory would be on the side of the grass. 
Bromus is a better name than Ceratochloa and means the 
same thing except the horn, which does not hold good be- 
cause there is no resemblance between the awns of the 
grass and the horns of c.atile. It may, with more pro- 
priety, be called Biomus Breviaristata — Short Awned 
Broom grass. If I am mistaken, I am very willing lo be 
corrected. Botanists are much too fond of endeavoring to 
signalize themselves by altering and giving new names 
to old genera thereby making confusiou and retarding im- 
provement. Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
W. W. A. 
Staieburg, S. C., July,\Sbo. 
P. S. — I send you, enclo.sed, specimens of Cheat, takers 
from my wheat field, and of the Rescue Grass, which I ob- 
tained from Col. IvKRsoN. You will see the family like- 
ness. You must not judge the size ot the Rescue (irass by 
the specimen. I chose small stalks to go in niy letter. 
W. W. A. 
EorroRs Socthern Cultivator— I bought from Col. B 
T. Iverson a peck of his Rescue Grass seed at $5, and 
sowed it according to his directions the first of JSeptember 
bst The ground was very dry and hard and was not 
plowed suificienily deep. It wrs, however, put in 
pretty good order, and the seed sowed in drills 18 or 20 
inches apart. It did. not come up for .several weeks and, 
♦onsequenty, had but a , short sjeasc^J ifor its growth. Be- 
tween December and the first ol'April if was lioed three 
times. It grev,' finely and looke^ wdl. rinop-gh tf^ winter 
The ground was tolerably rich^bi^ nyt, manured. On the 
£lst of May, .observing the see4'‘tQ dippping vary fas't.' 
although a considerable portion 'af it vv/js snll green, 1 had 
it tut with reap-hookS can fuljyand ptu'yi a barn wii’n a 
light floor, where it remained until ilie first of thi^ month 
A fourth of the seed must have^ropped. The ground was 
tovered with it. I soved a little over sen bushels of seed. 
bushds, when cleaned, weighed pounds. 1 have" 
fto doubt, if sewed in giood ground, that it wi 1 make a 
gcHxf winter pasture. Being an aiinuah giass it may re 
quire' more labor than cotton planters ,cap afford to put on 
« for hay. 
PvEMEDY FOE BLEND STAGGERS IN HOGS. 
Editors So-uthf.rn Cui.tivator — I see in the July num- 
ber of the Cvliivn/or a. request of S W. McGkhek, of 
Arkansas, requesting information in relation to diseased 
hogs. 1 feel confident from long experience that if it is 
the Blind Staggers he alludes lo, I can inforn) not only 
him but all others of my brothers how to cura the worst 
c^es of that kind I ever saw. 
I'aivc-one small teaspoonful each, of table salt and cay- 
eime pg per (common red pt pper willdo) and mix togeiher; 
i^ke the diseased liog and split the skin in the center of 
! tji§ fore head, opposite to the brain, with a knife, to the 
j bovie, say one-half to two inches- long, making a small iu- 
serlion, tacji way, between llie boneiiiid the flesh and put 
the salt and pepper in ; draw the flesh togetlier, taking 
one stiich with a needle and thread to hold it logciher in 
the center, then apply soft tar to dra.vv it and keep Off flies, 
and my e.xperience tor 25 years ensures you a cure. ^ 
I have no doubt but it would cure similar disease in all 
other animals. Clisbe Austin. 
PunneL Hill, Ga., July, 1855. 
Further experiments are neccssai-^ to prove i^ u.sefu! 
•ess in renovating worn-out lands. Col. Iverson gave it 
Ak) ttaine of Rescue Grass, but he applfed to a friepd who 
b a botanist to give him its botanical name aijd character. 
Serenity op Mi.nd. — Serenity of mind is nothing worth 
unless it has been earned. A man should be at once sus- 
ceptible of passion; and able to subdue it 
