508 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [July 2, 1920. 



Broadcast sowing is advocated, and to ensure a good stand half the seed 

 should be sown in a direction at right angles to the other half. In wheat- 

 growing districts the seed can be sown through the wheat drill, if 

 superphosphate or some other substance of the same texture, such as 

 pollard, is mixed with the seed to enable it to run through the drill slowly. 

 Advantage should be taken of favourable weather conditions for sowing, and 

 it is worth while remembering that, although little moisture is necessary to 

 germinate the seed, a fair amount is recjuired to keep the young seedlings 

 growing. When the runners begin to appear the grass can be considered to 

 be well established, and will then stand a fair amount of dry weather. In 

 coastal districts the seed can be sown in autumn up to April," or in early 

 spring, such as in September. The seed Avill germinate at much lower 

 temperatures than will paspalum. In wheat-growing districts also, Sep- 

 tember sowing is recommended, or, failing that, March. 



Pasturing. — The mistake is often mad(i by farmers of turning the stock on 

 Rhodes grass at too early a stage. The runners take some time to root 

 sufficiently strongly at the nodes to become firmly established in the soil, 

 and early pasturing will pull these runners out of the ground, leaving a space 

 for weeds to encroach on the grass, and eventually smother it. [t has been 

 found a good practice to allow the grass to come to seed in the first growth 

 before grazing, and then stock. The leaves are certainly inclined at this 

 stage to be somewhat harsh ; but stock generally eat it all down if kept on it. 

 Another alternative is to utilize the first crop for hay, the quality of which 

 is really good. If desired, a crop of the seed can be obtained at the same 

 time. After the first growth the grass can be stocked heavily at any stage, 

 but care should be exercised to remove live stock when the grass is eaten 

 baie. 



Rhodes Grcss and Lucerne. — It has been proved, both on the coast and in 

 the wheat-growing districts of the slopes, that Rhodes grass and lucerne 

 ^row well together, and instead of the Rhodes grass crowding out the lucerne, 

 as one would imagine from its running habit, it is really the lucerne that 

 makes the move vigorous growth. It is recommended that 4- lb. of Rhodes 

 grass and 2 lb. of lucerne per acre be sown. The protein content of the 

 lucerne and the carbohydrate content of the Rhodes grass make an excellent 

 balanced ration. 



Rhodes Grass in tit". Interior. — That Rhodes grass will do well in the 

 western district has been amply demonstrated, both by trials at the experi- 

 ment farms of Cowra, Nyngan and Wagga, and also by private pastoralists. 

 At Cowra the Rhodes grass paddock is now 3 years old, and is stocked 

 and cut for hay alternately. At Nyngan it succeeded well until the present 

 -drought, which has gradually killed it right out, after it had stood up 

 remarkably well to the dry conditions for some considerable time. Mr. 

 H. R. Munro, a pastoralist, sowed 5,000 acres of cleared and burned countiy 

 west of the Darling Downs about four years ago. Last year it had spread 

 to 15,000 acres. He states that country that formerly was covered with 

 turkey, hop, and kindred bushes, is now covered with Rhodes grass. It 



