GAMA AND BERMUDA GRASS. 
335 
The intelligent farmer, from knowing the quan¬ 
tity and quality of the ingredients of his manure, 
will be better able to shape his course in the ap¬ 
plication of them, a subject on which of course 
much experience is still desirable with guano. 
I have written strongly to Mr. Colman to send us 
over all the information he can collect on the sub¬ 
ject, and I have not the least doubt of its being- 
placed before our farmers in his work, in sufficient 
time to direct their spring operations. 
From what has been said, then, it appears that 
if a growth of stem, leaf, and root, be required, the 
solution of guano is about as useful as the whole 
substance; but where a seed crop is wanted, the 
insoluble ingredients above are requisite, and 
the whole guano is necessary. Several experi¬ 
ments have been made here on grass-lands, after 
the first mowing; they have not been very suc¬ 
cessful, and the reason is obvious. The guano 
has been spread over the grass, and in cases where 
it has not rained immediately, the ammonia has 
evaporated in the air; and even in cases where 
rain has followed, much of the ammonia must 
have evaporated before the solution could get 
through the thick matted stems to ihe roots. The 
potash and other fixed salts may, however, proba- i 
bly be of use in the ensuing spring, but hardly suf¬ 
ficient to warrant any expensive outlay. Permit 
me here to observe to the farmer, that an unsuc¬ 
cessful experiment, well conducted, is often as in¬ 
structive as a successful one, and therefore may 
equally lead to profit. The seed com which I 
grew with guano last year has been tried against 
tiie best that could be purchased of the same kind, 
and under precisely the same circumstances, side 
by side ; the guanoed corn was strikingly more 
luxuriant, and yielded the largest crop. 
The whole result of my experiments this year, 
has* if possible, strengthened my estimation of the 
valuable power of guano, and my view of its ap¬ 
plication generally, is, that 250 to 300 pounds is suf¬ 
ficient for one acre broad cast; that it should be put 
into barrels and be kept as close as possible : that 
when applied, no time should be lost in covering it 
with the soil, so that when the ammonia escapes 
it may at once impregnate the soil above it, which 
will then gradually give it off to the plant. 
Pumpkins of enormous size grown with guano, 
have been exhibited this year, at the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society, and many of those who have 
tried it on various vegetables, are full of wonder 
at its power. I think it not so likely to answer 
so well in stiff clay as on light soils; but one of 
the great objects of the farmer ought to be to 
lighten his stiff soil with sand, and then it maybe 
used. On grape vines and all gross feeders its 
effects are surprising. On fruit trees, one con¬ 
spicuous action is, that it shortens the joints be¬ 
tween the leaves, making the growth short, 
stumpy, and therefore productive. As it excites 
vegetation at any time of the year when the at¬ 
mosphere is of a temperature to permit growth, 
it must not be applied except during the growing 
season; but for forcing fruits or flowers, out of 
season, it will be very serviceable. I have heard 
from several here, that its effects on potatoes have 
been remarkable ; but I can say nothing on this 
subject from my own experience. I think the 
African guano generally, is not so retentive of the 
ammonia as the Peruvian, nor does it usually con¬ 
tain quite as much; but the difference of price 
amply makes good this difference if skilfully and 
carefully used. 
J. E. Teschemacher. 
Boston, ls£ October, 1844. 
GAMA AND BERMUDA' GRASS. 
With great trouble, and at some expense, I 
procured five acres of Gama grass, which I found 
neither horses nor cattle would eat, and I consider 
it as utterly worthless. The Bermuda grass is 
the best for pasture in the world. It is the doub 
grass of Central India, and among other things 
was brought to Georgia by Governor Ellis. You 
will find it figured and described in vol. v. of Sir 
William Jones’ works, London, octavo edition. 
It was carried to the Bahamas, from Savannah, by 
Col. Tatnall, and I suppose found its way to Cuba 
with the cattle traders of that island. The Hin¬ 
doos worship this grass as the best food for the 
sacred bull, and as being sent down from India 
by Brama for his use. 
I speak very positively of the Bermuda grass, 
being the doub grass of India, and I do so because 
Mr. William H. Crawford, when secretary of the 
treasury, procured from India this grass, and tne 
acorns of the teack tree, and sent me. I was 
struck (although a dry specimen) with the iden¬ 
tity, and having Sir William Jones’ work, in 
which this grass was figured, and my yard and 
lawn filled with it in flower, I compared them, 
and found they perfectly accorded in all points. 
But it requires a microscope to discover the beau¬ 
ties, which he (Sir William Jones) so rapturously 
describes, in its flowers. I do not know whether I 
stated that the Marquis of Hastings introduced this 
grass into England, but it failed, as Loudon states, 
from choosing an improper situation for it. It would 
grow well in your lands, that are warm, moist, 
and not flooded ; water lying on it beyond a day 
destroys it; the roots penetrate too deep to be de¬ 
stroyed in a good and warm soil. Its grazing 
powers exceed credibility in proper situations ; 
nor is there any grass equal in quality for horses, 
cattle, or sheep. Thos. Spalding. 
Sapelo Island, Geo., Sept. 24,1844. 
In addition to the above from Mr. Spalding, we 
have had a communication for some time on hand 
from Mr. Affleck, of Mississippi, who also for¬ 
warded us specimens of the Bermuda grass. We 
also recollect seeing it growing on his lawn and 
in other parts of the south. He says: 
I find by actual experiment, weighing the Ber¬ 
muda grass newly cut, and the same when dry, 
that it loses exactly 50 per cent., or 100 lbs. of grass 
make 50 lbs. of perfectly dry hay. It is the hardest 
grass to cut, however, that I have ever seen tried, 
and the easiest cured. I house all at night, which 
has been cut at noon. It would not, in my opinion, 
bear the cold of your winters—the first frost kills 
if to the ground. The Muskete, or as Kendall calls 
it, Mesquit grass, I presume would suit your 
