TORNILLO OR SCREW-GRASS. 
173 
The stalk pierces through the centre of the head ; 
around it is wound in a spiral manner, a strong 
membranous riband-like ridge, commencing at the 
base of the head, and slightly tapering at its apex. 
This riband-like band is attached to the body of 
the stalk, in the centre of the head, by its edge, 
and is about three eighths of an inch wide; the 
seeds are enveloped in separate capsules attach¬ 
ed within the spiral groove. Altogether, it has 
precisely the appearance of a wood-screw , only 
wanting the head and the color of that useful im¬ 
plement. 
The beholder for the first lime, will be forcibly 
reminded of the story of the Connecticut pedlar, 
who, upon returning to his friends, being requested 
to give an account of his adventures, affirmed that 
the soil about the Mississippi was so fertile, that 
the emigrant there had only to plant his crow-bar 
at night, to be ensured a rich crop of ten-penny 
nails next morning. Such at least was my first 
thought; wonder if it was not this plant, which 
afforded Archimedes that valuable hint on a certain 
occasion ? 
Cattle will not touch the screw-grass when 
green, preferring any other kind, of which, for¬ 
tunately, there is always an abundance. But in 
Che month of August the case is reversed; then, 
owing to the warm sun and droughts of summer, 
the whole country is parched, and the plains are 
covered with standing hay. At this time the 
screw-grass has reached its maturity, and is fully 
ripened ; the seed-stalk has shrunk to one third its 
size when green; the seeds are feebly secured in 
their spiral-cells, waiting for the first strong breeze 
to scatter them upon the ground, or from the brit¬ 
tle nature of the stalk and disproportionately heavy 
tops, to decapitate the heads. Then the vast herds 
of cattle will leave the low ground for the table¬ 
lands. Cattle, horses, and mules, may be seen in 
every direction, picking up from the ground seeds 
and pods, as our own domestic animals pick up 
corn shelled upon the floor. The soil of the table¬ 
lands, being a clayey-loam, moistened for seven or 
eight months in the year solely by the night dews, 
which the morning sun speedily evaporates, is near¬ 
ly as level and hard as a board-floor, enabling the 
animals to pick up with ease, even solitary grains. 
Where this grass is abundant, there is scarcely any 
other plant. The condition of the animals now 
rapidly improves; by the last of September or 
early in October, cattle have acquired their max¬ 
imum of flesh, and are ready for the slaughter, 
when the ranchero or farmer realizes from their 
tallow and hides a handsome profit. In the spring 
he can buy or sell them on the hoof at about $2 
er head, but if he has not been an unlucky gam¬ 
ier, he keeps them till they are enveloped in fat— 
thanks to the screw-grass—then knocks them on 
the head, and for the tallow and hide of a single 
animal receives from $>6 to $8, and at times even 
$10, on board the shipping on the coast. Amer¬ 
icans there must and do get rich ; but it is as in¬ 
herent in a Mexican’s nature to gamble as to eat, 
and consequently every turn of a card helps to 
strip him of the only resource of wealth his bigoted 
nature will admit ol 
The chemical analysis of the seeds of the screw- 
grass would show a great proportion of nitrogen, 
as well as fattening principles, and the proof of 
such combination is seen in the rapid increase of 
flesh, of animals which feed on it. The provision 
of nature with regard to this plant seems admira¬ 
bly adapted to California. One would suppose 
that she had taken into special consideration, the 
raising of stock in that country. She has spread 
out a beautiful lawn-like plain, under a genial 
sky, where there are no chilly frosts of winter to 
check the growth of the vast unsheltered herds, 
nor blighting winds of spring to make havoc among 
their tender offspring. She has furnished a lux¬ 
uriant vegetation, stimulating its roots by the mild 
refreshing showers of winter, and sustained in its 
progress to maturity, by the fertilizing night-dews 
of summer, charged with saline vapors wafted in 
from over the boundless Pacific. By regular daily 
sea-breezes, nature modifies and rolls here the 
concentrated rays of the summer sun. She has 
also provided California a soil unrivalled in its 
yield; supporting immense droves of horses, so in¬ 
dispensable to the ranchero, for the collecting and 
guarding of his herds; the purity of the climate 
also wards off disease. 
In the example of the screw-grass, nature has 
endowed it with a flavor, in its green state, repul¬ 
sive to animals, by which, it is suffered to mature 
and fulfil its office; until then, the nutritious in¬ 
gredients are in such a state of combination as to 
be nearly, if not quite, unfit for assimilation ; but 
when ripe, and the seed is capable of reproduction, 
then the wonderful bounty of its Creator is man¬ 
ifested. Here he presents to the animal an un¬ 
limited source of food, unsurpassed by any other 
in richness of flavor and superiority of nutritious 
qualities. 
The effect of screw-grass feed upon horses, dis¬ 
plays its great value. It is astonishing to behold 
the difference previous to, and after feeding upon 
it. During the summer they are slowly regaining 
the flesh and strength (of which they were de¬ 
prived by the young green grasses of spring) by 
feeding upon the gradually maturing vegetation. 
Then they are lean, spiritless, and indifferent to 
the approach of strangers, and very seldom seen 
to frolic or gambol; but after a few days or weeks 
rioting in the rich pastures of ripened screw-grass, 
a wonderful change comes over them. Now, in¬ 
stead of appearing listless, rusty, broken-down 
hacks, they are round and plump, with thin, 
smooth, sleek skins glistening in the sun; their 
movements quick and elastic, prancing and gal¬ 
loping about in circles, with their long flowing 
manes and tails waving in the air, they revel in the 
joyousness of health and pleasure. If man passes 
near them, they either follow to gaze at the bold 
intruder upon their wild sports, or gallop around 
him a few times, then suddenly dash off at their 
utmost speed, headed by some noble-looking fiery 
charger, and are almost immediately buried in the 
horizon, or enveloped in dense clouds of dust. The 
herdsman with his lasso, meets with great difficul¬ 
ty in catching them at this season ; but not so 
I during the spring and fore part of summer; then 
