A. H. Cockayne. — MonUine Tussock Grassland. 



161 



burning, and of certain other shrubby elements, such as the tall species 

 of Garmichaelia, due to combined burning and grazing. The scarcity of 

 Agropyron scahrum is peculiar, and due either to its having been eaten 

 out or not ever having been an important element of the formation. 

 Over certain areas the injurious effects of summer burns on the fescue 

 tussock are notable, but there is no appearance in general of any opening- 

 up of the grassland and the production of steppe. Unlike what happens 

 on lowland tussock grassland, no invasion with Danthonia pilosa has 

 occurred. Certainly a few plants of both that species and D. semiannu- 

 laris are to be seen, but there is no appearance of that replacement of the 

 tussock growth-form by this genus which is so noticeable and charac- 

 teristic of much lowland tussock grassland in both the main islands of 

 New Zealand. 



6. Deterioration in Carrying-capacity. 



It is generally accepted that the carrying-capacity of the montane 

 tussock grasslands has seriously deteriorated since they were first 

 brought under occupation. From an examination of the sheep returns 

 covering a considerable period it is evident that deterioration is not a 

 general feature, but is confined to certain special areas. So far as 

 the upper Waimakariri river-basin is concerned, the figures for the 

 four main sheep-stations during the past thirty-five years are as 

 follows : — 



These figures show that the stock carried thirty-five years ago and 

 to-day is approximately the same, but that during the past six years a 

 considerable decrease has taken place. It will be noticed, however, that 

 the carrying-capacity of the two smaller stations has throughout remained 

 much the same. On all these stations the winter country is montane 

 tussock grassland, but they also possess large areas of summer country. 



Thus, so far as the upper Waimakariri area is concerned, it is 

 hardly correct to say that the grazing-land has seriously deteriorated, 

 as it is quite possible that the low figures for 1913 and 1914 may be 

 improved again in a year or two, as has been the case in the past when 

 a diminution in the flocks has been recorded. 



For purposes of comparison it is perhaps fairer to take the stock 

 in a whole sheep district for a number of years. As the Mackenzie 

 County sheep district is one that is frequently quoted as showing serious 

 deterioration in the carrying-capacity of its tussock grassland, the 



* These figures are for 1898, the 1899 ones being just under 5,000, but the reduc- 

 tion is due to excessive mortality. 



1 1913 figures. Those for 1914 show a decrease to 24,000, but this is only temporary, 

 as the run is understocked through both sales and winter losses. 



6 — Trans. 



