420 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[OCTOBER, 
Dr. Geerge Xfaiiirfoer, so long and widely known 
in connection with the editorial management of this 
Journal, and Dr. Manly Miles, in charge of the extensive 
American Agriculturist's Experimental Farm, sailed for 
Europe, Sept. 2d. These gentlemen are to visit the vari¬ 
ous Experimental Stations in Germany, France, and 
England, and will likewise devote time and attention to 
other places of special importance to all interested in 
progressive agriculture. Our readers will be fortunate 
in having the full results of their extensive observations 
and researches in the future numbers of the Agi'iculturist. 
The American Institute Fair is one of the 
“institutions” of New York City. “New Yorkers” think 
a great deal of it. They take their families, and their 
country cousins, and they do what they can to make it 
worthy of the “Empire State,” aiSrl of the business “Me¬ 
tropolis” of this Yankee Nation. The Fair was nomi 
nally opened on the loth of last month, and by the first 
of October it will be in its full glory. The exhibition 
tvill be a very attractive one, and it will be a pleasant ob¬ 
ject to have in view for persons or parties coming to 
town before the close, which is on the 27th of November. 
Roup: What Is St ?—The disease of fowls, 
and especially young fowls, called Roup, is most preva 
lent during the late fall and early winter months, and 
has its origin in colds which the birds contract at this' 
time. If not attended to the cold increases, the head 
swells, and a watery substance is discharged from the 
eyes, which in time may coat over and close'them. The 
roof of the mouth and the tongue are similarly affected. 
As soon as the fowl is seen to be troubled with a cold, 
it should be given some meal mixed with Castor Oil, and 
its head bathed with a weak solution of Carbolic Acid— 
a few drops of the acid in a basin of water. If the dis¬ 
ease is already somewhat advanced, a pill of Sulphur and 
Cream of Tartar (equal parts) should be given. The sick 
birds should be put by themselves and their throats and 
heads bathed frequently in a solution of Chlorate of Pot¬ 
ash. The “ ounce of prevention” that is worth so much 
is good management—good clean coops, roosts, fresh 
air, and pure water and food. 
Pampas Grass Plumes.— These plumes, some 
fine specimens of which have been sent us from Florida, 
are the ripened flower clusters of the Gynerium argen- 
team (a native of South America), a grass which grows in 
the South, and also to perfection in California. Nothing 
is nicer for room decoration than a fine cluster of these 
soft plumes, silky and white, twenty inches to two feet 
in length. They can be found in seed stores often col¬ 
ored blue, green, yellow, red, etc., but the natural sub¬ 
dued color is most pleasing to many. 
liice on Stock.— A number of letters ask for rem¬ 
edies for lousy stock. Vermin of some kind very fre¬ 
quently infest domestic animals; they are mostly of the 
louse type: small parasiticanimals that must be removed 
by the application of some insecticide. A number of 
substances have been used to a greater or less extent, of 
which a few are mentioned below: One pound of Tobacco 
and six ounces of Borax boiled in two quarts of Water, 
to which Soft Soap enough is added to make a thick paste, 
has proved a good vermin salve. A mixture of Carbolic 
Acid and Soft Soap in the proportion of one to four makes 
a compound easy to apply, and very effectual. Shortly 
after, the parts to which the soap mixture has been 
applied should be washed with pure water and a non¬ 
drying oil rubbed on Oil of Turpentine and Lard Oil, 
equal parts, with a little Carbolic Acid, is perhaps the 
most convenient mixture to make, and effectual in its 
application. Animals that are affected with vermin need 
better care and higher feeding in order to overcome the 
drain that those parasites make upon the system. 
Quality vs. Quantity.— It begins to look as if 
we had reached that point when quality in the products 
of the farm, orchard, and garden, is to take the front 
rank, and quantity become a second consideration. It 
is not so much the large strawberry or squash, or the 
number of quarts of milk, as the flavor, the richness, 
etc., that is being sought. This is encouraging. 
English Emigrant Colonies. —Three years 
ago some gentlemen in Boston formed a Board for the 
encouragement of emigration from the populous centers 
of Europe to the fertile unoccupied lands in the West and 
South. Members of this board made a number of excur¬ 
sions to the Western States, in 1878, and finally selected 
a tract of land on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. 
At the same time an English Board, organized for a simi 
lar purpose, was also making inquiries, and soon the 
Boston Board and the English Board were amalgamated; 
the English becoming the leading spirit in the enterprise. 
From the time of the selection of the 400,000 acres, in 
Tennessee, two years ago, until now the work of the 
colossal enterprise has been necessarily slow. Mr. Thos. 
Hughes, the celebrated English writer, and familiarly 
known author of “Tom Brown’s School Days at Rugby,” 
is now in this country in the interest of this colonization 
scheme in Tennessee. The scheme can be viewed only 
as an experiment at present—the method proposed seems 
the best one for meeting many of the great difficulties 
with which agricultural life is generally associated in a 
new country. A hundred families purchase a fine tract 
of land at a low price. They unite in their numbers old 
and young of both sexes, persons of various trades and 
accomplishments, and begin work on the frontier, with 
many of the comforts of civilized life, the church, school, 
social gatherings, etc. Colonization of this kind will 
succeed, provided there is a strong bond of sympathy 
which holds the associated life together as a unit. A 
religion in common effected this in the Puritan colonies ; 
and the Moravians are united in settlements all over the 
world, by ties that have all the indications of being en¬ 
during. If no bond of unity survives the passage of the 
sea, disappointed ones will soon begin to drop away, and 
the colony will break to pieces, but with the feeling that 
they can be more prosperous and happier together than 
separated, it will survive until the people are thoroughly 
naturalized, and the colony will continually increase by 
fresh immigration. The situation in Tennessee is well 
chosen, being attractive both as to climate and soil. We 
wish them every success, and hope soon to have a full 
and encouraging report from Mr. Hughes of his work. 
(Basket Items continued on page 445.) 
The Guinea Grass, “Johnson Grass,” Etc. 
(Sorghum halepense.) 
IT HERBERT POST. 
I send you herewith an account of the “ Johnson 
Grass” which is attracting the attention of farmers 
in various parts of the United States. It is not, as 
many are led to believe, a new grass, but it is only 
of late years that its value has been known or 
acknowledged. 1 have for five years past been 
cutting it and shipping as hay, and experience 
more than confirms the first expectations I had of 
its value. In the markets where it is sold it is pre¬ 
ferred to the best Timothy hay, being more succu¬ 
lent and nutritious. The most reliable history I 
can obtain is as follows : In 1835, Governor Means, 
of South Carolina, obtained from Turkey some 
seeds of a grass, there known as “ Guinea Grass.” 
After growing it on his plantation it became known 
as “ Means’ Grass,” by which it is still called in 
that State. 
About 1845 William Johnson, of this place, being 
in South Carolina, obtained some of the “Means 
Grass” seed and sowed it upon his farm, where it 
now grows with great luxuriance. Here it obtained 
the name of “Johnson Grass,” by which it is now 
most commonly known. It is a member of the 
Sorghum group, as its botanical name— Sorghum 
halepense —indicates. It is perennial, and propagated 
from both seeds and roots, the latter very much 
resemble those of the sugar cane; is very nutri¬ 
tious and eagerly sought after by stock of all kinds. 
It starts early in the spring and continues growing 
until frost kills it. In consequence of the deep 
penetrating roots, it withstands the drouth better 
than any of the other grasses, remaining green 
when other kinds are burned out by the hot weath¬ 
er. The richest bottom lands yield from one to 
two and a-half tons per acre at each cutting, and 
is cut two or three times each year. With the at¬ 
tention given to fertilizing in the Northern States, 
I doubt not its yield could be increased 50 per cent, 
per annum. For stock not at work it furnishes 
abundant food in grazing. Mr. N. B. Moore, of 
Augusta, Ga., after a trial of the various grasses 
for forty years, selected this grass as the best he 
could find. He planted one hundred acres of it, 
which yielded him a handsome income annually 
(Howard says $7,000 to $10,000). People who know 
the value of grasses no doubt wonder why this 
grass has not been more generally raised if so valu¬ 
able. The simple reasou is, Southern people have 
from time immemorial been taught to destroy 
grass; and every thing else that interferes with cot¬ 
ton must give way. While a grass possessing great 
tenacity, it is easily destroyed by plowing up and 
exposing its roots to the hot suns of August and 
September. 
One bushel to the acre will give a good seeding. 
Sown in September or October, it will produce two 
good cuttings the following year. It is also sown 
in the spring, but of course does not get as good 
a start. In the North the spring would probably 
be the best time to sow. It should be sown the 
same as other grass seeds, and brushed in or cov¬ 
ered with a roller. 
[This grass was described and illustrated in the 
American Agriculturist for March, 1877, in which 
it was stated that the Guinea Grass is found in 
Southern Europe, East Indies, Cape of Good Hope, 
West Indies, Australia, and Brazil. In September, 
1879, this same grass was again treated under the 
name “ The West India Green Valley Grass,” with 
which the seed of the Sorghum halepense was adver¬ 
tised for sale through the Northern States.— Eds.} 
Preparing and Seeding Ground for 
Meadow. 
The practice of sowing grass and clover alone 
without any so-called foster crop is becoming gen¬ 
eral. It is found that the supposed nursing crop has 
quite a different effect from fostering or encourag¬ 
ing the tender grass, but chiefly robs and destroys 
it, unless the soil is unusually rich. The more suc„ 
cessful practice is to prepare the soil by thorough 
plowing—rolling if necessary, and harrowing so as 
to procure a fine tilth, and sow the seed early in 
the spring, without any accompanying crop. The 
preparation of the soil in the spring is completed! 
by a dressing of fine manure, and a thorough har¬ 
rowing, a shallow plowing being given if necessary. 
Harrowing will be sufficient in the majority of 
cases. After a fine harrowing the seed is sown. A 
mixture will be found most satisfactory. Mixed 
crops, as a rule, yield in proportion to the increase 
of seed. Thus a usual seeding of Timothy or 
Clover, or both, will give a certain quantity of hay ; 
if Orchard-Grass is added, a crop of hay will be tak¬ 
en equal in amount to that expected from the Tim¬ 
othy or Clover, but two or three weeks earlier. A 
second crop may be taken later, of which the Tim¬ 
othy will furnish the bulk, and the Orchard-Grass 
will fill up the bottom. If Kentucky Blue Grass is 
added, or Rhode Island Bent, a later crop will be 
given, which can be mowed for rowen, or will give 
the best of fall pasture without injury to the roots 
of the Timothy or Orchard-Grass. The mixture 
here indicated is one that may be suggested for 
trial. It has been tried and found successful and 
desirable in all cases, and deserves a more extend¬ 
ed application. The seed has been sown in the 
following proportions: One bushel of Orchard- 
Grass, one-half bushel of Kentucky Blue Grass, one- 
half bushel of Rhode Island Bent, ten pounds of 
Timothy, and six pounds of Red Clover. The 
Blue Grass appears later than the others, and fills 
up the vacant spaces left by the failing clover, 
which disappears after the second year. The ad¬ 
vantage of the mixture is chiefly that a fine thick 
bottom is produced, which covers and protects the 
ground between the stools of the coarser grasses, 
and which furnishes a second crop for hay and a 
third for pasture. For soiling purposes the mixed 
seeding is even more useful than for pasturage, as- 
the grass may be cut at any season without danger 
of injury from a dry spell. These particulars are 
more pertinent for the spring than the present sea¬ 
son, yet if one would avail himself of them he- 
must make preparation now, and not delay. 
The Cliiiicli-Bug fu Winter.—Professor 
Cyrus Thomas, of the United States Entomological. 
Commission, has made an exhaustive report upon, 
the Chinch-bug, which gives some useful facts con¬ 
cerning its winter habits. Insects may pass the 
winter either in the egg, the “ worm” or larva, the 
pupa, or as the full-grown, perfect insect. The 
chinch-bug adopts the last as its winter state. 
“When cold weather comes on those of the fall 
brood leave the now dry and hardened corn-stalks, 
and seek secure places in which to remain during- 
the winter. Occasionally they take flight at the 
time, but usually they seek the most secure places 
which can be found in and immediately around the 
field. Any rubbish left in the field, if of a nature 
to meet their wants, is eagerly sought; com shocks, 
straw piles, stumps, logs, and fence rows are used 
as hiding-places; they even conceal beneath the 
