60 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
GAIVIA GRASS. 
To the Editor of the American Farmer: 
Dear Sir— 1 have a half pint olGama Grass 
seed, sent me by a friend, and small as is the 
quantity, I estimate it as well worth sowing and 
taking good care of. I saw some few years ago 
in some newspaper, I think, some account of an 
acre of this grass seed in Alabama, which 
yielded near three tons of hay at a single mow- 
ing, and was mown six or seven times a year, 
(in that climate) — I have searched your Amer- 
ican Farmer for years back, including those 
published many years ago, and the Albany Cul- 
tivator for three or four years back, and can find 
nothing about Gama Grass — and have to re- 
quest you, or through you, some of your many 
correspondents, some information about it, such 
as, in what kind oi soil (wet or dry) should it 
be sown'? at what period? how much seed to an 
acre? the best mode of making good hay of it? 
where the seed can be procured? and other in- 
formation that may be useful to one desirous to 
raise it and make it beneficial — how to save the 
seed, and when? how much hay should it yield 
per acre? how often cut? the cost of the seed? — 
And the same information and description is de- 
sired of Lucerne, 
Your compliance through your very valuable 
“Farmer,” will oblige your subscriber and obe- 
dient servant, Wm. Cook. 
Describe the seed, their size, shape, color, &c. 
REPLY TO THE ABOVE. 
The American Farmer is full of information 
upon the subject of the cultivation and produce 
of Gama Grass— but as our correspondent may, 
possibly, not have convenient access to the vol- 
umes containing it, we will briefly sketch such 
parts as may be necessary to subserve his pur- 
pose, after first answering the questions submit- 
ted to us. 
Question 1.— In what kind of soil (wet or dry) 
should it be sown? 
Answer — It will grow in any soil, and we have 
seen a very luxuriant crop in a piece of wet 
meadow land, where it had been placed from ne- 
cessity, though its growth was very evidently 
improved by a thorough draining, to which the 
land was subsequently subjected. The better 
the soil, the more luxuriant will the grass grow. 
If we were to select a soil for it, we should 
ehoose the richest and deepest loam on our place; 
for, from the great depth to which the roots pen- 
etrate, the rapid growth of the plant, and the 
frequency of its admitting of being cut, it stands 
to reason that it should have all the advantages 
of depth and richness of soil, and be unstinting- 
ly aided by copious supplies of manure. In 
the preparation of the soil, care must be taken 
to provide against weeds; and if it be not natu- 
rally calcareous, or have been limed, lime should 
be supplied, as like all other grasses and grains, 
it delights in that soil best where lime abounds. 
Qibes. 2.— When should it be planted? 
Ans.— As soon in the spring as the land can 
be got in good tilth. Connected with this part 
of the subject, we would remark, that aiter ma- 
nuring the soil freely, it should be ploughed as 
deep as a strong team can well go; that the 
ground must then be harrowed until a fine tilth 
is produced, when it must be rolled. 
Ques. 3. — How much seed per acre? 
Ans . — We have never seen the quantity of 
seed allotted to an acre named; but, from an ac- 
quaintance with the size ol the seed, should pre- 
sume that half a bushel would be enough. The 
customary manner and distance of planting, is 
in rows, 1 8 inches apart, the plants 12 inches 
asunder, so that it would take 29,046 seed to 
plant -an acre; but as many of the seed do no.t 
borne up, we think it best to plant the seed 
much closer in the row, say, four inches only 
apart. 
Qu-es. 4. — What is the best method of making 
hay of it?’ 
Ans . — Upon this head there is no difficulty 
Avhatever, as it is as easily cured as any other 
grass, and requires no more drjfing than timothy, 
orchard grass, pr red tQp. In stacking it away. 
a peck of salt to the ton of hay, would greatly 
promote its acceptability to the stock. 
Ques. 5. — Where can the seed be procured? 
Atis.— W e procure it frequently in Charles- 
ton, S. C., wffiere it doubtless can be now procur- 
ed; but if our correspondent has half a pint of 
the seed, and it be good, we would advise him to 
make a beginning with that, as should they ve- 
getate generally, they will aftbrd him a good 
crop of seed next year, besides numerous plants 
for transplanting, as every bunch will bear 
subdividing, so as to allpw him from 20 to 50 
roots the succeeding spring, which, with the 
seed, will enable him to set out more than an 
acre the second year after commencing. 
Ques. 6.— How often can you cut the hay? 
Ans . — In Alabama, North and South Caroli- 
na and Mississippi, it has been cut as oiten as 
seven times in a season, and we should think, 
that in Bedford county, Va., from four to five 
cuttings in a season might be calculated upon, 
of from 15 to 18 inches in height. But to en- 
sure this number, every cutting should be fol- 
lowed by a top dressing of some good rich com- 
post manure, as moul 1 or rotten barn yard ma- 
nure, and ashes, say ten bushels of either of the 
two first, to two ol the latter, to be worked in 
between the rows with the hoe. 
Ques. 7. — How much hay will it yield to the 
acre? 
Atis . — This is a question we are not prepared 
to answer, as our experience is at fault upon 
this point; but here our good and respected 
friend, Dr. Magoffin, of Alabama, is a resource 
to M'^hich we can recur with a surety of obtain- 
ing the truth. He says, that “at each cutting a 
number of the smallest branches were weighed, 
and also of the largest. None found less than 
5 lbs. and many 15 lbs., and some 16 and 17 lbs. 
per plant at each cutting — and seven cuttings in 
the season.” He says, also, that he has dried it 
into hay at a loss of a little more than one-half 
in weight — viz: that 14 lbs of grass gave 6 lbs. 
dried hay. Now then, if we take the last yield 
of a bunch or root, that is 5 lbs., for our guide, 
five such cuttings would give us 25 lbs. the sea- 
son per root, of grass; at the rate of loss named 
by Dr. Magoffin, it would give an aggregate of 
10 lbs. of hay at five cuttings, during the sea- 
son, for each bunch, so that as there would be 
29,040 bunches on an acre, the acre, at that rate 
would yield 290,400 lbs. of hay; but suppose 
we take the fourth of that quantity as the pro- 
bable product, and we have 36i tonsas the yield 
of the acre — and if we carry the reduction still 
further, and take the fourth of 36^ we will still 
have above nine tons to the acre — if, however, 
we take Mr. Magoffin’s minimum of 5 lbs. to 
the bunch, we get the incredible quantity of 145 
1 -5 tons. That it is tke most productive grass 
in cultivation, when properly cared for, we have 
no question; that it is eminently calculated for 
a warm climate we are equally certain, and be- 
lieve also, that it will be well relished by all 
kih3s of stock, if cut before it becomes too rank. 
When intended for hay, it should be cut at least 
once a month, the first cutting to take place 
when the grass may be 15 inches high. But as 
our correspondent and every other intelligent 
reader will admit, to get the most out of this 
grass, it must be grown under the most favorable 
circumstances of situation, soil, preparation of 
soil, cleanliness of culture and heavy manuring. 
The soil in which it may be grown, should have 
lime in it, be heavily manured before ploughing, 
be moderately top-dressed after every cutting; 
the weeds must be kept down by hand hoe- 
weeding, and the ground be kept open to the in- 
fluence of the elements. 
The seed in the outside covering are some- 
what the shape of castor oil beans, though much 
smaller, of a dusky yellow cover. 
In preparing them for planting, they should 
have four times their quantity ol hot water 
poured over them, and be permitted to remain 
therein for forty-eight hours, when they may be 
planted in a bed in rows 18 inches apart, the 
seed to be drilled at 12 inches asunder. When 
they first come up, they look like corn. They 
must be kept clean of weeds and other intruders 
by hoeing and hand-weeding the first season. 
It may be said to be a matter of great labor to 
set a meadow with Gama grass, and so it is; 
bpt when one reflects, that when once set, it will 
last for 70 years, and that one acre will give as 
much hay as ten set in any other grass, the trou- 
ble, labor and cost should not be permitted to 
preponderate against the manifold advantages 
which belong to its culture. 
Now what would be the labor attending the 
setting of an acre, the plants being grown? Not 
much more than planting an acre in corn. With 
two boys, ten years old, with the plants in bask- 
ets, to drop them in the furroAvs, 12 inches apart, 
and two men to cover with the hoe and press 
the earth Avith its back, we Avould agree to plant 
out an acre in a day, and Avhen this would be 
done, we would indulge in the comfortable re- 
flection, that AVG had perfected a Avork Avhich 
wcvuld last for three-score years and ten; that 
both ourself and our children Avere secured in 
hay for our stock during our lives. Notwith- 
standing the immense yield of this grass — nct- 
Avithstanding its long continuance — notwith- 
standing it is nutritive to and relished by stock 
of all kinds, such is the aversion of the great 
body of agriculturists to incurring any extra la- 
bor, that we fear it never will be successfully 
introduced. Again, Ave have heard the objec- 
tion raised against it that it required to be cut 
too often; or, in other words, that it was too pro- 
ductNe; for the objection resolves itsell into 
this, let it be tAvisted as it may. 
So far as our personal knowledge of this 
grass extends, Ave think that it delights in a 
warm climate, and that probably it could not be 
cultivated to advantage in the Northern and 
Eastern States. To the Southern States we 
look upon it as a God-send, as it Avould, if its 
culture were generally attended to, enable their 
planters to amply supply themseNes, not only 
Avith grass for soiling their stock through the 
summer, but Avith abundance of good pr&A'ender 
for winter. — American Farmer. 
Value op the Agricultural Products op 
THE United States in 1842. — The American 
Farmer publishes the following estimate of the 
value ol agricultural products of the U. States, 
which it says is based upon the “tabular esti- 
mate of the crops of 1842,” made by the Com- 
missioner of Patents in his Annual Report com- 
municated to Congress. The prices set down 
are those which prevail in this market, or such 
as are supposed to be a fair average at other 
places. The actual prices here are designated 
by the letter a, those supposed by the letter s. 
Articles of 
Produce. 
Q-uanlities 
of Produce. 
Money A'alue. 
Wheat, 
102,371, 340 bush, at 75c 
a$76,738,005 
Barley, 
3,871,622 
do 
at 50c. 
a 1,935,811 
Oats, 
150,833,617 
do 
at 22c. 
o 33,194,326 
Rye, 
22,762,952 
do 
at 50c. 
s 11,381,476 
B’ckwheat 
9,483,409 
do 
at 40c. 
s 3,793,363 
Ind’n Com 
441,829,246 
do 
at 42c. 
a 185,568,283 
Potatoes, , 
135,883,381 
do 
at 25c. 
a 33,790,845 
Hay, 
14,053,335 
tons 
at $10 
s 140,533,550 
Flax and > 
158,569^ 
do 
at $120 
s 19,028,370 
Tobacco, 
194,694,891 
lbs. 
at 6|c, 
s 12,169,330 
Cotton, 
684,333,231 
do 
at 8c. 
s 54,666,658 
Rice, 
94,007,484 
do 
at 2Jc. 
s 2,350,187 
Silk Co- > 
244,124 
do 
at 50c. 
a 122,062 
Sugar, 
153,345,199 
do 
at 5c. 
a 7,122,259 
Wine, 
130,748 
gals 
at 50c. 
A 65,374 
Supposed value of the above fif- ? $532,639,968 
teen articles, 
Above is the value of the estimaled products, 
ol filteen articles only, the growth of 1842, 
amounting to six hundred millions of dollars; 
and yet, as a people, Ave are oppressed to the 
earth with pecuniary debts and difficulties, and 
almost Avithout credit at home or abroad. Such 
a state of things is unparalleled in the history 
of the world, and it is useless to blink the ques- 
tion longer, as there can be no, doubt but thai^ 
