Velvet Grass, (Holm lanatus), known as Meadow Soft Grass in the catalogues, and in some parts of the South as Velvet Mesquit, was introduced from Europe. It does best on rich, moist lands, but also grows fairly on dry sandy land. It is worthy of trial in the West. It will not stand on lands liable to overflow by water. Mr. H. W. L. Lewis, Secretary of the Louisiana State Grange, writes Dr. Vasey in relation to this grass as follows " It is hardy and cultivated in small lots, doing best on rich, sandy loam, yielding two to three tons per acre. I have ex perimented more than any one else in with forage plants, especially winter grains and grasses. Have used rye and barley for winter feed, but have given them up in favor of the Holcu$ lanatus; have had this in cultivation for thirty years. It is a perennial, but owing to its shallow roots it dies out during our long, dry summer and fall from 50 to 75 per cent. One lot kept the third year had less than 10 per cent. of the grass alive. Hence I have for twenty years or more used it as an annual, sowing it with tur nips, collards, or by itself. A good way is to sow the seed broadcast and cover lightly in a late crop of turnips after the last cultivation. After the turnip crop is removed the first warm days in January or February will start the grass into rapid growth. It is cut frequently through the spring for green feed, and after oats are ready to cut, is allowed to mature seed." Tall Oat Grass, (Arrhenatherum avenaceum). This is known as Tall Meadow Oat Grass, Ray Grass and by other local names, is perennial, vigorous in growth, and is widely distributed North and South. It is hardy, withstands drought well, but likes moist sandy loam, where it yields heavy crops. Prof. D. L. Phares, of Mississippi, says : " It is well adapted to a great Variety of soils. On sandy and gravelly soils it succeeds admirably, grow ing two to three feet high. On rich dry upland it grows five to seven feet high. It has an abund ance of perennial long fibrous roots, penetrating deeply in the soil, enabling it to resist drought and cold and yield a large amount of foliage winter and summer. These advantages render it one of the very best grasses for the South, both for grazing, being evergreen, and for hay, admitting of being cut twice a year. It is prob ably the best winter grass that can be obtained. It will make twice as much hay as Timothy. To make good hay it must be cut as soon as it blooms, and after cut must not be wet by dew or rain, which damages it greatly in quality and appearance. For green soiling it may be cut four or five times in favorable seasons. In from six to ten days after blooming the seeds begin to ripen and fall, the upper ones first. It is there fore somewhat troublesome to save the seed ; as soon as those at the top of the panicle ripen suf ficiently to begin to drop, they should be cut and dried, when they will mature and thrash out readily. It may be sowed in March or April, and be mowed the same season ; but if sown in September or October, the yield the next season will be heavier. Not less than two bushels - (fourteen pounds) per acre should be sown.
The annual yield of this grass in the South _ ern belt is probably twice as great as in ,'.-Pennsylvania and the Northern States." Texas Blue Grass, (Poe arachnifera), was first found in the head-waters of the Trinity River, in Northern Texas, in 1852. It is yet but little known, but where tried is highly spoken of, especially South. It stands drought well, and holds to the ground as well as Kentucky Blue Grass, yet it is as easily subdued by cultivation. It does not come to full perfection until the third or fourth year. We have seen no state ment where it was not well liked, east or west of the Mississippi River, but seems to do best West, well up into Kansas. South it is one of the best of winter pasture grasses. Cactus, (Opun tia Englemannt). This Southern cactus has within the last few years attracted attention in the South west, and especially in Texas, for its value as a forage plant. It grows often to the height of ten to twelve feet, and is greedily eaten by all classes of farm stock when the spines are clipped. A Texas correspondent says of it: ? The pears should be cut and hauled to the feed-lots while the sap is in the roots, or before the warm days come, for if it is fed when the sap is in the tops it is liable to cause laxness and weaken the animals. We prepare it for feeding by holding it
for a moment over a blaze. I believe that in the southern part of the State they have a burner with 'which they burn off the prickles, without cutting the plants from the ground, and then let the cattle eat them as they please, but we prefer to cut and feed as above stated. One good man can prepare the Cactus and feed about 100 head of cattle in this way. A poor or half starved animal should be fed only a small quantity at first, which may be gradually in creased until the animal is allowed to eat all it wants. When fed in this manner to range cattle, we have never known any injurious results. But if it is fed to steers, and they are worked immediately afterwards, even if the feed is small, and not accustomed to it, they are liable to swell up. We have had them do so when we thought there was danger of its proving fatal. They can be given a feed at night, however, and then worked the following morning without danger of any injurious results." HAY. The hay crop is one of the most im portant of the country. The annual average for the last six years, yet reported, is 33,838,247 tons, carrying a money value of $387,771,207. In the South this crop is receiving more and more attention yearly, anti especially is attention being paid to the grasses natural for the climate, and to forage crops natural there; among these latter may be mentioned Japan clover and Lu cerne, generally called by its Spanish name Al falfa. (See "Clover," also in Supplement "Japan, Clover.") The following table will show produc tion and averages of hay for the series of years reported up to date: Japan Clover (Leapedeza atriata). Of this leg ume a partial description is given on pages 231 and 234, and also illustrated. Since that article was written, the plant has gained more and more reputation in the South. Dr. Vasey, writing of it in 1887, says it now furnishes thousands of acres of excellent grazing in every one of the Gulf States, and is still spreading northward in Kentucky and Virginia, and west ward in Texas, Indian Territory, and Arkansas. It is an annual, and furnishes pasture only dur ing summer and until killed by frost in the fall. The small purplish blossoms are produced singly in the axils between the leaf and stem, and the seeds ripen, a few at a time, from about the first of August until the close of the season. It re produces itself from seed on the same ground year after year, and on this account has been er roneously called a perennial. It will grow on poor soils, either sand or clay, but prefers the latter. It is better adapted to poor soils than Bermuda Grass, both from giving a more cer tain and perhaps larger Aeld, and from being more useful in restoring their fertility. On poor upland soils it is seldom cut for hay, growing only from six inches to one foot in height, and being inclined to spread out flat upon the sur face. On rich bottom lands it grows thicker, It is cured in the same manner as clover, and the hay is apparently relished by all kinds of stock. There is some complaint that stock do not at first eat it readily while growing, and that horses and mules are • liable to be salivated if allowed to eat it freely while very luxuriant. In both these respects, however, it probably dif fers little from the ordinary clovers. No cases have been reported of bloat or hoven being caused by it. (See page 231.) taller, and more upright, and is largely cut for hay. It been sown artificially only to a lim ited extent as yet, but seed is now offered in the market, and its cultivation is likely to be con siderably extended, especially on lands too dry or poor for Alfalfa and where the true clovers do not succeed. Japan clover is remarkable for holding its own against other plants. It will run out broom sedge and other inferior plants, and even Bermuda in some localities. It does not withstand drought as well as either Bermuda or Johnson grass, but soon recovers after a rain. The young plants are easily killed. by drought or frost, and for this reason a good catch is more certain on an unbroken sod than on well-prepared land. Still there is believed to be less difficulty in obtaining a catch with this than with some other forage plants. A good method of seeding is to sow in 11lareb, at the rate of one-half bushel per acre, on small grain sown the previous autumn or winter. For hay It should be cut early, before it becomes woody.