WITH SUPPLEMENT. 
Vol XLI. No. 1679. 
NEW YORK, APRIL 1, 1882. 
PRIOE FIVE OENTS, 
$2.00 PEE YEAH, 
(^Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1882, by the Rural New-Yorker, In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
full? Crops. 
BERMUDA GRASS. (Cynodon dactylon. 
OCR outline sketch of this grass was made 
from plants growing at the Rural Farm last 
Summer. Fig. 103, shows the manner in 
which the joints that rest upon the ground 
send out roots. Fig. 101, is a stem with leaves 
and secondary stems issuing from the joints. 
The leaves are better shown at A, Fig. 104. 
B, Fig. 104, is the flowering stem and spikes of 
bloom. These several parts are of the life-size 
which they had attained in late August. 
Early in the Summer,as we have before stated, 
a narrow sod of Bermuda Grass, about one 
foot in length, was received from Tennesee. 
It remained in the office until quite dry and 
apparently dead. It was then taken to the 
farm and planted in a very dry soil of muck 
and sand. It soon showed life and in a few 
weeks was a mass of bright green. It sent 
out its short-jointed, wiry shoots in all direc¬ 
tions, which were found to grow, on an average, 
But we have now reason to believe that seeds, 
good and true, of the Bermuda Grass will be 
offered for sale this Spring. At any rate, we 
are testing a specimen of such seed handed to 
us by a leading seedsman, which seem more 
than any other we have examined, to be true 
se ds. 
Most of our readers are aware that Bermuda 
Grass is a horrible pest if not confined within 
desired limits. But in many parts of the 
South it is depended on for pasture. It may 
be found as far North as Tennessee, Virginia 
and North Carolina. In Georgia it is really 
the only effectual yard grass. The roots are 
cut into pieces two inches long, spread rather 
thickly upon the ground and then spaded 
under. If mown as Northern lawns are mown 
it will keep green during the Summer. Mr. 
Berekmans, as we have stated, deems it invalu¬ 
able as a forage plant, ten tons per acre 
having been harvested upon land that would 
not produce 30 bushels of com per acre. Mr. 
W. B. Hillgard of Mobile Co. Ala. writes us 
that Bermuda Grass and Blue Grass supple¬ 
ment each other admirably, making, with 
White Clover, he thinks, .the ideal pasture, 
sending out anew creeping shoots or upright 
barren seed stalks or both. It spreads in every 
direction and it is only a question of time as 
to its completely carpeting a given area, and 
as it has a large proportion of sheath and 
blade, it soon forms a solidly matted herbage 
affording the best and most nutritious graz¬ 
ing for domestic animals. It grows in any 
situation except in a bog or on a bare, flat rock. 
While it likes sunshine and fertile soil, it will 
grow in shade and will take complete possession 
of the worst worn lands, intruding upon the 
brink of gullies and finally crossing and com¬ 
pletely stopping all washes. It is a great re¬ 
storer of worn-out lands, principally because 
it allows nothing to wash away, the waters 
from heavy rains rushing over the matted 
sod without getting muddy with earth or 
soluble plant food. Experience has demon¬ 
strated the fact that this is the grass for the 
South. In Middle Georgia it affords fine 
pasturage for nearly eight months in the 
year—from early Spring to early Winter, 
and in mid-winter hungry cattle are ever 
seen browsing upon it, getting enough to 
sustain life till the first Spring sunshine brings 
some one of the Rural correspondents—per¬ 
haps “ Leon”—is of opinion it will not stand 
your Winters. In this I think he must be 
mistaken, for none of the perennial grasses or 
Winter grasses or Winter grains stands it 
better here. As a lawn grass here 
it is beautiful and it would certainly 
be desirable at the North on oma 
mental grounds when much trampled and 
grazed, the latter being necessary to bring it 
to perfection, and on exhausted lands too poor 
to grow other grasses it would thrive welL 
Upson Co., Ga. A. J. Williams. 
HOPS— MANAGEMENT OF THE. CROP. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
In the counties of Otsego, Madison and 
Schoharie hop growing is carried on exten- 
an inch and a-half in 34 hours, rooting ateach 
joint as they proceeded along the surface of 
the soil, easily making their way under stones 
and other obstacles which had been placed 
there to ascertain in how far or in what way 
they would interfere with the growth. 
From so small a sod, a little plot seven feet in 
diameter had formed by September 1st. We 
receive many questions regarding Bermuda 
Grass every year as to its hardiness, where 
seeds can be obtained, etc. It has not yet been 
the former furnishing unfailing and nutritious 
pasture from May until late October, and the 
latter from late October until July. They may 
be said to overlap each other, thus furnishing 
a variety of food and giving (by means of 
Bermuda) a “foot” for stock in Winter. 
Mr. Killebrew of Tennessee says that no 
other grass will yield such an amount of valu¬ 
able hay, surpass it in nutritive qualities, 
support on an acre of pasture such an a mount 
of stock, or so effectively stop and fill up a 
forth the green blades making the pastures 
beautiful to behold. 
In ante helium times the practice in the 
Cotton Belt was to “ grow more cotton to 
buy more negroes, to grow more cotton to 
buy more negroes,” and that practice ex¬ 
cluded all idea of farming in the line of pas¬ 
tures and stock raising. Then Bermuda 
Grass was by tome (not all) farmers consid¬ 
ered a pest, but now it is universally acknowl¬ 
edged a boon, and farms frequently sell for a 
sively and also in other more limited sections 
in the State of New York. When gathering 
time begins young men and women from other 
parts of the country flock to the hop districts 
to engage in picking hops. These are picked 
during the day and at night there are “ hops ” 
which serve to make the season one of pleasure 
as well as of profit. Hops are oue of the 
special crops which require particular care in 
their culture and handling, and when they 
are produced in first-class condition they gen- 
BERMUDA GRASS, SHOWING HOW THE PLANTS TAKE POSSESSION OF THE SOIL.— Fig. 103. 
ascertained how far North it is hardy and this 
is one object we had in planting it at the farm. 
A part was protected, with salt hay and a 
part exposed. How it has passed through the 
Winter we shall inform our readers later. As 
to seeds, we have hitherto answered that they 
were not procurable, as it does not bear seeds 
in this country, though it blooms incessantly. 
wash or gully. On the other hand, its extir¬ 
pation when ouee well established, if not 
impossible, is a difficult matter. 
BERMUDA GRASS IN THE SOUTH. 
This is a perennial creeping grass sending 
down fibrous roots at nearly every joint and 
better price from having a good set of it. It 
is exterminated by frequent plowing and 
harrowing in Summer and sowing the land 
with small grain in Winter. I am certain it 
does not mature seed in this climate, and I 
think it does not on this continent. Hence 
the only means of propagation is by cuttings 
from which it never fails to grow. I think 
erally bring a price which pays better than 
almost any other crop, but when carelessly 
managed and of poor quality they ordinarily 
sell low, and will run the producer into debt. 
They are quite an expensive crop, including 
the poles and labor, and a bop yard is likely 
to make light crops on the rest of the farm, 
unless the land is specially rich, as so much 
