16 
H. G. Hastings Co., Seedsmen, Atlanta, Georgia. 
RHODES OR EAST COAST GRASS 
12 TONS OF DRY HAY PER ACRE PER YEAR, ST. LUCIE CO., FLA. (No. 543) 
Field of Rhodes Grass Before Cutting (Fellsmere, Florida) 
It's not often that a really new and valuable grass 
appears, but the Rhodes Grass, or ‘‘East Coast 
Grass,” as it is more commonly known in Florida, is 
certainly a find, for we know of no grass so valu¬ 
able for Florida and the Gulf Coast section. 
Rhodes Grass has been grown on both the East 
and West Coasts of Florida for the last four or five 
years with most marked success. 
Our Mr. Hastings visited the Fellsmere Farms at 
Fellsmere, St. Lucie County, Florida, in January, 
1913, and was greatly impressed with the rank 
growth of this grass and its fully apparent value sis 
a hay grass, something that Florida and the Gulf 
Coast section has long sought. 
We were assured by Dir, Tillman, who has charge 
of the experimental work of the Fellsmere Farms, 
that the Rhodes Grass produced, in their experi¬ 
ment grounds, twelve tons of dry hay per acre the 
previous year. Believe us, that is some hay crop 
per acre for sandy land. 
It is not coarse and makes hay equal to if not 
superior to the best Northern timothy hay. 
The illustrations shown on this page are from 
photographs taken on the Fellsmere Farms in the 
spring and show only one of the nine or ten cut¬ 
tings of hay per year that this magnificent hay 
grass produces. 
The source of seed supply of this Rhodes Grass 
has been more or less of a secret for several years, 
but we have succeeded in obtaining an ample supply 
of it and can furnish it in any reasonable quantities 
this summer and fall. Rhodes Grass has been tested 
thoroughly in South Texas this past year and the 
growers pronounce it superior to alfalfa as a hay 
crop. 
For Florida and the Gulf Coast sections all around 
to the lower Rio Grande valley, above Brownsville, 
Texas, we believe that Rhodes Grass will prove the 
most valuable grass ever introduced. 
RHODES GRASS CAN COMPETE WITH THE TIMOTHY OF THE NORTH 
One of the great and important problems of Florida and the Gulf 
Coast sections is to secure an ample supply of fine hay, something 
entirely satisfactory for use on the farm and at the same time be 
marketable in the towns and cities in competition with that stand¬ 
ard market hay, the timothy hay of the North. 
In a recent letter to us from P. H. Rolfs, Director of the Florida 
Experiment Station, Prof. Rolfs says: “In Florida, the best land 
for the Rhodes Grass has been our hammock land, especially that 
which has a clay subsoil. * * * As to proper preparation of the 
soil, it is about the same as that which occurs with seeding other 
small seeds such as timothy, red top, orchard grass, etc. 
“The time of the year for planting will depend greatly upon the 
year itself. Where a good moist spring occurs it is well to sow in 
the early part of the year. Toward the South, where there is no 
danger of cold weather, the sowing may be made in the fall, provid¬ 
ing the soil is in good condition to make a moist seed bed. 
“Apparently no grass has been introduced in recent years which 
has better promise of becoming the competitor of the timothy of 
the North.” 
The above words from Prof. Rolfs mean much. We have known 
him personally for years and he is a most careful man, one who 
always underestimates rather than exaggerates. 
A Splendid Florida Report 
Mr. E. W. Amsden of Ormond, Fla., is an “old 
settler.” He says, writing under date of September 
20, 1914: “I bought from you in February 5 pounds 
of Rhodes Grass seed. Owing to extreme dry weath¬ 
er it did not come up until after the middle of April. 
I commenced cutting May 10th and kept it up every 
3 weeks until September 1st, when I mowed a ton 
of good hay from the half acre. This was planted on 
land within 80 yards of the ocean beach, land that 
I never supposed would grow white beans. I have 
owned this land 30 years and never considered it 
worth clearing up.” 
E. E. Evans, Mercedes, Texas, writing us in Au¬ 
gust, 1914, says: “I will w<ant for October sowing 
about 125 pounds Rhodes Grass. It has proved the 
most satisfactory hay maker ever introduced in the 
Lower Rio Grande Valley. It has not failed to pro¬ 
duce one ton per acre per month. I will sow it in 
my alfalfa field so that it will soon consist of 
Rhodes Gi’ass only.” 
Mr. J. .T. Thorber, Botanist of the Agricultural 
Experiment Station of Arizona, says: “I have had 
Rhodes Grass under observation for several years. 
It succeeds beautifully in our heavy clay loam soils 
and even in sandy or gravelly soils. Its growth is 
marvelous under our conditions.” 
We do not recommend Rhodes Grass for fall sow¬ 
ing in the Central South but for Florida and Gulf 
Coast sections it is safe. Sow 8 to 10 pounds per acre. 
Special Rhodes Grass y n f “ 
Circular* s P ecia l circular on Rhodes Grass, 
VI1 which goes into this subject more 
fully than is possible in this catalogue. 
PricCQ Quarter pound package, postpaid, 25 
■ ® cents: pound, 75 cents. By express or 
freight, not prepaid, 10-pound lots or over, 50 cents 
per pound. 
“The Ruralist Is Like Bread” fbama, L wHung 0 to°r e safd' 
“The Ruralist is like bread, can’t get along without it.” 
Hauling in Rhodes Grass Hay (Fellsmere, Florida) 
