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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1880)
July, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 209 BARNYARD OR COCKVS-KOOT OR ASS. Our illustration upon this page shows a lusci ous annual which is quite widely distributed over tho Kastern States, and is known as "Barn vard erasa" or "CoeltVKont mu " it. Koranic.! name being Pnnirum enugStt, It is tigured and described in the "Report of the Depart- otherwise smooth, with tho sheath smooth or rough ; npikea 1 to II inches long, numerous, crowded in a long raoemn or a dense niolo, whioh is rough with stilT hairs ; the glumes ovate, rough, abruptly pointed ; lower palet of the neutral tlnwer uannllv boarino a r,m..h awn varies greatly, sometimes awnlesa or nearly so, somotimes long awned, especially in the variety DOCK'S-VOOT OKAHH -I'aiiieum Crusgalli. ment of Agriealture for lHTtt" as on of ths grasses worthy of teat in tho .Southern States. tVe take front tho report a description of the plant and some record of its valuable properties, as learned by iU growth in Alabama and Mississippi. Hum annual grass, with thick, stout culm, branch, ing from the bass, I to 4 ft high leaves long, J inch or mors wide, rough 011 the margins. ' -I'lJinn. a very large and ooen - fonn of the wctos, with the aheallia of tho leaves rough, hairy ; another variety, mioVuoi, is ilestituU of the awns ami is smooth throughout. Vary MM in waste places in all parts of the cmntry. Ill this grass Dr. ('. Mohr says- It grows Ins. uhantly, particularly in the lowlands of the onset, is greedily eaten by horses ami cattle, and makea a hay of good quality. It is lustly re garded as au excellent grass, particularly before It ripens its seed, as in the later stages of its growth the long and stiff awns of its spikes tend to make it somewhat unpalatable. Mr. D, I I'l.area Woodvllle, Miae.. save of the craaa "The bay is very highly esteemed by many farmers, In northeast Mississippi I have seeii large Holds of it mowed." This grass should lie cut early, while it is juicy and palatable. This will be at tho llrat appearance of the llowors. ilIANTSIN MUSK1NOUM COUNTY, OHIO. A correspondent of the Cincinnati AVuirer, in describing the mound in whioh the remarka ble discovery of the gigantio skeletons were made, says it was about M ft. long and ,1A ft, wide, top measurement, and gently sloped down to the hill whore it was situated. A number of stumps of trees were found on the sloie, stand ing in two rows, ami on the top of the mound were an oak and a hickory stump, all of which bore murks of gre&t ago. All the skeletons were found on a love! with the hill, and about eight ft. from the top of the mound. Now to a morn particular description of these antiquated remains: In one grave there were two skeletons one male and one female. The female face was looking downward, the male being immediately on top, with tho face looking upward. The male skeleton measured nine ft. in length, ami the female eight ft. In another grave were also found two skeletons male anil female with the female faoo looking upward and the male face looking downward. The male frame in this cue was nine ft. four inches in length, ami the female sight ft. In another grave was found a female akeletnii, which was incased In a clay ei.llin, holding In her arms tho frail skeleton of a child thrse ft. and a half long, by the aide of which was an image, which, upon liemg eiposed to the atmos. phere, crumbled rapidly. The remaining acven were found In aingle graves, and lying on their sides. The smallest of the seven wss nine ft. in length, ami the largest ten. One single circumstance onnneuted with this discovery wss the fact that not a ain gle tooth was found in either mouth, sicept in the one incased ill the clay collln. On the south end of ths mound was erected a atone altar, four ft. and a half wide ami I'.' ft. long, built on an earthen foundation nearly four ft. nigh, having In the middle two large Hag stones, upon which ssrrlllcea were undoubtedly mails, for umiii them were found charred lames, cinders and ashes. This was oovsred by alamt throe ft. of earth. This eseavatlon was ma.li. under the direction of the Muskingum County Historical Society, and the things alluded to in this letter, or dispatch, can lis verillwl by a number of witntsaos who were present and watched the work as it progress I. It was pursued with great interest anil diligince, there 'wing the strongest Incentive to prosecute the invratigstion, for such remarkable developments 111 mouml oeniiig are very rare, and are there fore Is. mating in the esteems. Their fiiluri labors warn alao rewarded with additional developments, which, if they do not throw add 1 tional light upon this giant rocs id iwopls thai ones inhslrtted this country, will at least stimu lata research. What la now a profound mystery, ths result of this excavation may In time Income the key to unlock still further mysteries that centuries ago were oommonplaoe affaire. I refer to a stooa that was found resting against the head ol ths 1 lay oollln ala-tve described. It Is au irregular-shaped red eendstoua, weighing about 1 1 flat., being strongly impregnated with on, la of iron, ami bearing upon one aula two Uses of hieroglyphics.