1866 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
255 
cleanliness, is grateful to the cow, and will pro¬ 
mote the flow of milk. Now begin to milk, not 
with a short, quick, jerking motion, which is 
very unpleasant to the cow, and helps to form 
the habit, but Avith a steady, 
and with sufficient pressure of 
the teats, with a slight downward 
pull, to expel all the milk every 
time; don’t let half of the milk that 
you have drawn into the teats fly 
back into the bag, but force it all 
into tlie pail. Milk the teats j^ou 
first start with clean, or as long as 
the milk Avill flow from both; but 
if they do not milk even, leave the 
unflnished one and milk the other 
two; then go back to the first, and 
finally milk the unfinished ones to¬ 
gether. Never milk with one hand, 
hut manipulate the bag Avith both 
hands, even if you do not get milk 
with but one hand. Strip the bag 
perfectly clean. During the pro¬ 
cess of milking, and Avhen the bag 
is partly emptied and becomes 
somewhat pliable, let the hands 
Avork well up on to or against the 
bag, this will keep up the flow of 
milk until the bag is emptied, and 
“stripping” Avill not be a “nui¬ 
sance.” Milk fast, but not in such 
manner as to cause uneasiness to 
the COAV ; if you do, you Avill teach 
her the habit, and you Avill have 
to “strip.” A fair milker should 
be milked clean in five minutes, if 
she gives a good mess of milk. A 
stead}’’, even motion, filling the teat 
v}ith milk at every pressure of the 
hands, is the most rapid Avay of 
milking, and the most agreeable to 
the coxD. Treat your coav with per¬ 
fect kindness, speak to her as you 
Avould to a child, and Avheu milking let 
that be the only business on hand. Try the 
above and see hoAV it Avorks. I practice Avhat 
I preach. J. L. R., Jefferson County, N. Y. 
Pasture Grasses for the Southern States. 
is no doubt that it has a A'alue as a pasture grass, 
in the South, and though it Avould be of little use 
Avhere better grass Avill grow, it has a tenacity 
of life that enables it to endure hot summers, 
Fig. 1. SCnP.ADEU S BROMUS. 
and to flourish in sterile soils—qualities that 
also render it, when uncontrolled, a troublesome 
intruder. To answer several letters, Av^e give a 
figure and description of it. The most striking 
thing about Bermuda grass, is its strong stems 
or runners, Avhich e.xtend upon or just beloAV 
the surface in every direction, and are often four 
up stems which bear the foliage and flowers. 
These upright stems are slender, and the leaves 
are narrow and delicate, but they are produced 
in such abundance as to make a dense turf. 
The small flowers are produced in 
spikes Avhich radiate from the top of 
the stem. In its manner of flower¬ 
ing, it resembles the common Fin¬ 
ger, or Crab-grass, though the floAV- 
ers of the tAvo differ very much in 
structure; but this is a point only of 
interest to botanists. In its strong 
prostrate stem, and the readiness 
Avith which each joint aauII become 
a plant, this grass bears a strong re¬ 
semblance to Couch-grass (ynWrwm 
repens), and these are qualities Avhich 
at once adapt it to form a turf Avith 
great rapidity, and also render it 
very difficult to exterminate Avhen 
it is once established. The seed is 
not doAvn in our catalogues, and it 
is doubtful if it produces seed as a 
general thing. Plants that are so 
abundantly provided Avith other 
means for multiplying themselves 
are usually shy about seed bearing. 
As every joint of the prostrate stem 
Avill make a plant, cuttings of it 
are used to form a pasture or lavA'n. 
The plant may be chopped up and 
the pieces scattered broadcast, and 
then rolled, or sets made by di¬ 
viding a plant may be put in hills. 
It is sufficiently hardy in most 
Southern localities to give grazing 
during the winter, and though it 
Avill groAV Avhere more valuable 
grasses will not, it flourishes much 
better on fertile soils, where it even 
becomes large enough to cut for 
making into ha}^ It should be 
carefully kept from spreading into 
cultivated fields, as it is difficult to extirpate. 
Schrader’s Bromus. —Bromvs Schraderi. {?) 
—This grass is the Brome de Schrade of the 
French, and the agricultural journals of that 
people seem to be as Avild over it as if they had 
found a new Chinese yam. We notice that 
they have dropped the name of “ Rescue,” under 
Avhich it went a feAV years ago, and noAV desig¬ 
nate it as Brome de Schrade. Just Avhat this 
grass is, we Avill not attempt to determine until 
AV’e have groAvn some specimens, but Ave have 
suspicions regarding its botanical character. If 
it is the old Rescue grass, the name first given 
it in Europe, it is uiiAVorthy of consideration, 
but if, as is now claimed, it is what Avas former¬ 
ly called Ceratochloa breviaristata, from the N. 
W. coast, it may possess value and be worthy 
of trial. In France, it is stated that its excel¬ 
lence as a pasture grass, its productiveness, its 
endurance of cold, and its everything wonder¬ 
ful, will completely revolutionize their agricul¬ 
ture. But they are great on revolutions in 
France, and Ave content ourselves Avith calling 
the attention of Southern agriculturists to these 
statements, and suggest that this grass is, if half 
the foreign talk be true, worthy of trial by them. 
It must be borne in mind, however, that none 
of the species of Bromus, have, as yet, been fa¬ 
vorably decided upon by a jury of intelligent 
cows, and if this one should be found to their 
taste, it Avill be an exception. Of course, cat¬ 
tle will eat the different species of Bromus, but 
they do not afford a very nutritious food, and 
they prefer other when it can be had. Both 
figures are given of about half the natural size^ 
One great cause of the running doAvn of 
Southern lands has been the Avant of suitable 
grasses for both hay and pasturage. Noav that 
the system of husbandry Avill be in a great 
measure modified from that of former years, the 
question, Avhat are suitable grasses, will be¬ 
come a still more important one. We give a 
brief account and figures of two that are noAV at¬ 
tracting attention as valuable pasture grasses. 
The Bermuda Grass. —{Cynodon Bactylon.) 
—Our first acquaintance with this grass was 
made in Texas. After traveling all day over a 
prairie on which the verdure was bi*OAvned in a 
September sun, we stopped at a planter’s ranch 
and found his 
front yard cloth¬ 
ed Avith its turf, 
the freshness of 
which was in 
marked contrast 
with the scorch¬ 
ed aspect of oth¬ 
er plants. Since 
then we have 
seen it in other 
Fig. 2. —BERMUDA GRASS. 
Southern States, regarded as a Aveed to be avoid¬ 
ed rather than as a plant to be cultivated. There 
or five feet long. At intervals of 
inches, this stem throws down roots, 
about two 
and sends 
