Nuhou, Volume II, Number 19, 30 September 1873 — Bermuda Grass [ARTICLE]

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Bermuda Grass

is a/£i*eat b!e-sing to thie arc!iJpelagi?. anU espeCiaiij pro\e>. it> va!ne ctyinug seasons of droufch 'ike we liave īiow. Wlien al{ other herhQge lias iailed r it is still green aml Hourishing. [t is an exotic, fbreign to these is!ands, and luh received Lhe name of manienie, or eiiiooih. iroiii the nafcives dn aceonnt of the c!ose even BWard it pre•*ents. le was hrsfc introdneed In Amenea, into the St*ite of vSont'i Caroiina» abont iiltv yearō ago, by ('Overnor Piekens of that State, who . brougbt it froiu !*er!uuda, and it is known as the " Berniuda gras> tlie Southero States. fts botauie name i> c!/nodon (laeit/ion, and besides it> very general name of I3erinuda N it isī abo knowu In the States as " C'uml?eiiand gi'aso. V\ ii*( i grasrM.>f Virginia *' and Creeping panie gra></- and a*. we Bee mentioned by a recent writei\ i> kn.H\n in Xew Mexico ■, ae" \« Mcgquit grass/' and as he says, associates faVorably w r ith t(»e iue*juit, algaroba, and all of thc locust faiailv oi trees. wliieli evidentlv favor| the luxuriance of the 2ras?s. ' ! O ! r £he information in respect to the origin <»f thc' lu Aipeiiea was- given to us hi hy MrJ Ok-nison wlio was for nv,\ny years President of the Agncultural f)e|.artinent at \Vashij>gton. lle aiso stated the siugu!ar faet, that the Bermuda grass introdueed into Ameriea was altogether of the male species, an īt wonld not germināte from me Beed, but must be propagated by cuttings or fragmenti; of 6od. whleh is also the case with reto this grass in iBlands. The Bermuda grass will be the salvatiou of ,>m pasture>. W hen our ranehes are detuided of iierbage and ?tock Htil! eontinue to run ou the bare plains and hill sides, tiieT eut up the cxposed Boil, and when the trade winds rage s the best loam of our land pa»bcs awav in gieat elouds

*eaward. Thus thou«ii«is uf acres of ehoiee aoil iuivc li'-'eu >uvay, mul a liiii'i'* vct| snrlacc : > "■Jia'6'.l;eēh iefi, wlueli WouM n t .t ifcovev in hundrea* c>{ years tl.e rettilifj that c.\iMct hefore the ; ilostroving lioofsi?ume li'cre. i!ut m>w the Rcrmuda grasrfeowe>;to thc ; r«>sc«f; awi to «tve laiatvds of this archipelugn (i'iiui heeoming a liowling wi!dērueS'fi, wliieli \wulii he *. ifTvcry fevr jears-inoK vu» tlie |.rcH-at ttiviiges ol'.stock to ■ go i>ii unelieeke 1. ; - V J P!ant a (i-jtgment of hhl u!' this gva«j iu a bare jilaia j«ft after a raiu, aud note i |>roTess. I'ei'lmp? ninnulaW shoWei> will emie and cover this piain wit)a verdure. and you wi!l lo»e Hght ■ »f vour Utt!e [ iut «>M>erauHla grat*. Vou Luay look for it, aud uim»ot itnd it iu thr uiid*t of a l'Ountifut heil>igt liut hy and by tlie hot b.uu hegin? t,> wilt your |-.i>uire, and a» the drouth eootinue* vour meadow h ,- heooin*- [< ul iit and hrown, atl exeept oue !itt!e epot ol' emerald, and that you diHoover i>.\our tussock Henmuia ,i?rasa, whieh spread.< ani .tiw>'nu m fhe ?nid!.t cf tlu» !>ivwn deH-t;. When we weī'e v.i!ie!iii,j: like a wikmaa. iu"■tead o! 11y >!.i;I. ;uul *. ; 'rpre-'-i.': v\ %-y> r '-.ane» ;• |v.J!

wc mnde it a rcligioi]g daty to j>lant wīth' ' our own Imni, after evorv .rnīn. eome few sods of | I)cnaudii gr,:x< on eoine cxposed piain or lilll cido, ! And these spots have \videned like tbe inf!uence jof a guod deed. Wc see these beneScent circles iof herbage everjwhere aruund our home. They j spread'and nieet eaeh other, and I>lend and eover I thc* crcBtB of hills tliat now keep thcir soil, or j etop wa«tcs of land in the plain ; and thc nutri- | tious and bountif\»l gra*s covcrs the earth cverv- \ where with a mantle that is clothing for it and | fot)d for man. If jou land ownei>* wuuld keep vuur niemorv | grecn. cova* vour espoHed hill sides and pastui-e | with Bcrmuda grns*. Don"t think you I nre going to get a way the green rneadows of | vour qwn fatherland. Vou cannot se!l out. and ; you 1111181 etay ? and he Cūutetit to lay your ! und<*r tjie sod of «.>ne of the?e U niay he Jas goo<i a point of departure any other for a | betb«r workī. The. rcfrain of \t< t>mf-beateu ! shorcs. and the niciody in its iaountain tops are |as mueieal to a tenderly at'tuned as tlu k sea ; | and *yloan j<ccnci< of othcr climes, where if man | | bc nobler natuve is no sweetcr or tio grander J * Ah, then, be happy m being a beneflictor hēre 3 -— j in making many bladeß of grass grow whert» one grevv before ; and while t*ome find disappointment in the deceptione of trade, and others dishonor in the exercise 6f large lunctions f(>r wliieh they are npt fitted, you will :!ind perpetual peaee' in peminiai srasB. i