An item from the Daily Gleaner in 1915 suggests how this grass arrived in Jamaica before World War I, and indicates clearly how it got its local name. The current botanical name for this grass is Bothriochloa ischaemum (Linn.) Keng, and it is known elsewhere as Hurricane grass, Barbados sourgrass, and pitted blue-stem. It is often regarded as a weed.

I have a special interest in the history of 'Seymour grass' as I have lived for 20 years in an apartment block which now occupies the site of the house at Retreat Pen where George Seymour Seymour grew the grass and reared race horses. Sometime I will put together what I know of the history of Retreat Pen.      JL

Matilda's Corner area from a 1912 map     

Daily Gleaner, September 1, 1915

PASTURE GRASS

A New and Promising Product that is Called Seymour Grass.

NOTES BY MR. COUSINS

The Grass has now Established Itself in the St Andrew Uplands

(By the Hon. H. H. Cousins, Director of Agriculture).

Within the last few years a grass new to Jamaica and of Indian origin has been found to be becoming quite common on the Liguanea Plains and to have established itself in the uplands of St Andrew, at Mount Charles, Flamstead and Gordon Town.

Botanical specimens were collected by Mr. W. Harris, F.L.S., in the course of his work for the Herbarium at Hope, and its identity determined as Amphilophis Ischaemum (L) Nash formerly known as Andropogon Ischaemum of Linnaeus.

This grass is recognized in India as one of the most useful pasture grasses of the northern regions of the peninsula up tp 2,000 feet altitude.

An authority on the subject describes this grass as being one of thousands of grasses for hot, dry, sandy regions and of most ready spontaneous dispersion.

From India this grass spread westward to Southern Europe, while it has also obtained a footing in Australia and on the South African plateau.

The introduction of this grass into Jamaica was apparently accidental, and has been traced to Up Park Camp, where it probably escaped from packing material.

As the credit for recognizing and proving its practical agricultural utility in Jamaica is due to Mr. G Seymour Seymour of Retreat Pen who has now established a good acreage of this grass on this property: it is proposed to call the grass, which at present possesses no local name, “Seymour Grass”.

The habit of the grass is somewhat between those of Para Grass and Bahama Grass. Under shade it makes a luxuriant matted growth to a height of two feet providing succulent fodder that is easily devoured by the cattle.

In the open it makes a dense,but lower growth, standing drought remarkably well and growing on the denuded patches where the native hay grass refuses to grow at all.

The Seymour Grass at Retreat is killing out the local weeds, and rapidly becoming a pure culture. Mr. Seymour's experiments indicate that by the introduction of this grass the lands at Retreat should be capable of supporting three times as many cattle as under former conditions. Stock invariably select the new grass when admitted to a fresh field.

The Department of Agriculture considers that this grass is of such proved merit that it should be widely encouraged on the Liguanea Plains and on lands where productive pasture grasses are difficult to establish.

The plant seeds in the month of October and grows readily from seed. The outlying areas of Up Park Camp could supply a large amount of seed from the stock of this grass now existing and the general attention of penkeepers to this new introduction is invited.

 Over the years 'Seymour grass' received a very mixed press in regard to its value whether as a fodder crop or a lawn grass.

 

In adverts for houses for sale the presence of Seymour grass seems to have been a plus.

Gleaner, September 8, 1919

Gleaner, February 2, 1920

Gleaner, January 6, 1934

 BUT - there was criticism of Seymour grass from various directions -

SPORTS:

Golf:

It would be incorrect to describe Liguanea as the nearest equal to the best courses at home or in America - but it is bad enough when one says the course has a long way to travel to be good enough for championship play. The Seymour grass is responsible for some appalling strokes with which the player has often nothing to do. In approaching, it was noticed by the writer several times that the ball hit a little "cup" and kicked completely out of the line which it had been intended it should follow.

Daily Gleaner, March 30, 1925

Racing:

S C Burke jnr:

In days gone by the two best race tracks in Jamaica were, Goshen and Cumberland Pen, both of which had a thick sward of grass on them - Goshen being covered with the heavy pimento and common grass of St. Elizabeth, while Cumberland Pen had a thick matting of Bahama grass. When Knutsford Park was first laid out iy promised to be a good track because the race track was covered with Bahama .grass. But since the Seymour grass has killed out the Bahama grass at Knutsford Park - as it has everywhere else - it has completely ruined the racing track at Knutsford Park and also the polo ground.

Daily Gleaner, September 2, 1932

But George Seymour Seymour responded next day:

The introduction of Seymour grass by me has materially reduced the cleaning expenditure and, in my opinion, has not destroyed the 'going' as Mr. Burke thinks it has. It is hoped in the near future that a well will be sunk at Knutsford and water laid on the track which ought to do away with any hard 'going.'

Daily Gleaner, September 3, 1932

 Then there was the question of its value as cattle fodder:

Jamaica Hope cows

in 1927 there was a report that -

'. . . the Agricultural Department has been experimenting with livestock under commercial conditions at Hope since 1911 and at Grove Place in Manchester since 1920 . . .'

and had apparently discovered the

'Poor value of Seymour grass' [as cattle feed]

Daily Gleaner, July 22, 1927

nearly four decades later  Sir Arthur Thelwell, who had been secretary of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, was equally condemnatory

'Seymour grass, . . . was eating the heart out of our pastures and positive steps must be taken to control this even if means "declaring it" as was done in the case of piano grass.'

Daily Gleaner, November 19, 1965

 

In later decades critical comment continued -

In an article lauding the virtues of bamboo in binding the soil together  along the road sides, 'John Plowman' noted

'I have seen thousands of roads built, but never have I seen any trench with green bamboo being laid out to create protection for the road bed. What I have seen is hundreds of roads which have been washed away despite all sorts of expensive retaining walls and expensively planted Seymour grass.'

Daily Gleaner, April 7, 1979

and in the following decade Dr A W Sangster noted the uselessness of Seymour grass in eradicating an even worse sourge, Piano Grass -

'Seymour Grass: This grass which is common all over Jamaica and is characterized by the waving 10 to 12 inch seed stalks. It is a useful cover, bounces back quickly after drought and fires, but does not have much food value. Seymour Grass is no match for Piano Grass and will be destroyed.

Daily Gleaner, January 14, 1984

The reputation of Seymour grass as a lawn grass was mixed, though I am reliably informed that the sprightly lawn grass outside my windows on the old Retreat Pen site is still Seymour grass:

In an article on lawn care in 1965 Daphne Innerarity told readers that they had a choice of five grasses – Bahama grass; Crab grass, also known a Savannah or Flat grass; Pimento grass; Seymour grass; Zoysia grass.

Like Bahama grass, she said, Seymour grass is also good in rainy areas but it dries up quickly in the dry season.

Daily Gleaner, February 2, 1965

but a few years later 'Green Leaf' [Aimee Webster Delisser] was much less encouraging:

in 1969, this enquiry -

We have a very large Seymour grass lawn badly in need of rejuvenation. We intend to replace the Seymour with 'crab grass' eventually, but for the moment we must settle for rejuvenation. Could you give some advice on the improvement of an established lawn? What does one need to help the lawn, and what methods of fertilization etc, are best?

was answered thus, with faint praise for Seymour grass:

GREEN LEAF replied: Unless you are prepared to accept the vast expenditure for water which is indicated in the Water Commission's new rate structure effective April 1, I advise that you await rainfall before undertaking the restoration of your lawn whether you replant with another species or continue with the established Seymour, the luxuriant growth of grass requires water.

In restoration and in planting afresh, the first step is to aerate the soil by forking to a depth of two Inches, then top dressing with a mixture of topsoil and coir dust to a depth of one and a half inches. Even if this smothers the old planting, Seymour will spring back through the topping over..

Daily Gleaner, March 30, 1969

By the mid-'70s 'Green Leaf' came down firmly against Seymour grass:

There is need now to be on the look out for Seymour grass which is not a good lawn subject being tufted in habit, rather than tending to mat. In its young state, Seymour grass is deceptively like Bahama, so watch for Seymour grass and take out the tufts before they flower.

Green Leaf

Daily Gleaner, August 11, 1974

the worthy frog