510 Agncidtural Gazette of X.S.W. [J uh/ 2, ld20. 



flouiislies on black soil plains, formerly brigaloi^' and belar forests, and 



quickly establishes itself if given a spell during seeding time. The youno' 



grass has good fattening properties, and the mature grass has equally 

 sustaining properties. 



R' odes Grass Hay. — Rhodes grass makes excellent hay. Chemical analyses 

 have shown it to possess a high nutritive value, while its aroma and 

 palatability make it very acceptable to stock. The vivid green of the leases 

 and the fine stems giv^ it a very attractive appearance. It jDroduces heavy 

 yields on the coast, and it is seldom that less than 2 tons per acre are 

 obtained from two or three cuttings during the season. A Queensland i-eport 

 testifies to the fact that Rhodes grass chaff is in demand there, and will 

 bring £10 a ton. Mr. Charles Binnie has also drawn my attention to the 

 result of some analyses of Rhodes grass grown on rather poor soils near 

 Brisbane, as compared with the analysis of a good sample of chaff. They 

 show that even the second cutting of this grass, in the form of hay, has 

 practically double the protein content of wheaten or oaten chaff. It was 

 calculated that 38 lb. of Rhodes grass hay are necessary to supply 19 lb. of 

 protein, the average daily requirements of a cow, and that 79 to 85 lb. of 

 chaff are required to supply the same amount. 



The grass should be cut for hay as soon as the seeds begin to ripen. The 

 curing should be done as quickly as possible, as the strong summer sunshine 

 rapidly bleaches the leaves. 



Harvcstirg for Se^d. — Rhodes grass ripens very irregularly, and cutting for 

 seed should be carried out when ^ fair number of brown seed spikes are 

 noticed in the crop. The protruding anthers render the pollen stage of the 

 seed very conspicuous in the field, and about a fortnight elapses from this 

 period to the hardening of the grain. The ripe seed very easily shatters, and 

 care! must be exercised if the best and ripest seed is to be obtained. A good 

 plan is to place tarpaulin inside the wagons and the ripe seeds that fall from 

 the sheaves will then be easily collected. The seeds having been stripped 

 from the sheaves, the latter can be utilised for hay. Many seedsmen winnow 

 the Pthodes grass seed received from growers and sell only the heavy proportion ; 

 other less scrupulous seedsmen, however, sell all the seed, which is invariably 

 low in fertility. 



Rhodes Grass under Irriga'ion. — A fair amount of this grass has been grown 

 on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, with good results. In a dry season 

 difficulty is encountered in obtaining a satisfactory germination on the heavy 

 clay soils, owing to the manner in which they quickly dry out an<J harden 

 on the surface. The .seed should, therefore, bo sown as quickly as possible 

 after a thorough irrigation, and when the seedlings are up the land should 

 be irrigated at interraLs of a few days until the root system is well estab- 

 lished. It is invariably found that the grass will stand much more dry 

 ■weather than paspalum, which, of course, is a big consideration, even on the 

 irrigation area. The present tendency is, however, to favour paspalum as a 

 dairying gras.'i, and thi."* it probably due to the fact that it will carry more 



