247 



This is a feature in the agriculture of parts of the United States, 

 Austraha and the Argentine RepubHc, and nothing impressed 

 me more in my recent visit to New Zealand than the improve- 

 ment in the pastures, principally from adopting improved 

 methods. 



By growing paddocks of suitable grasses, and keeping them for 

 seed' for distribution over the ranch, is perhaps the best method 

 to follow^ on these Islands. A great deal can be done bv simpl/ 

 gathering the ripened seed heads and scattering them over the 

 pastures, or by turning the stock in when the seed is ripening 

 and then distributing the animals over the land to be seeded. 

 This latter is an old and somewhat rough method, but it is inex- 

 pensive and very effective in some cases; some seeds such as those 

 of Paspaliijji dihitatiiin\ are improved in germinating quality by 

 passing through the animals. Another method is to fence in long- 

 narrow paddocks across the wind and to plant them with the 

 grass which it is desired to introduce. 



Seed will also be distributed by allowing hay to ripen to some 

 extent before cutting; the eventual feeding of the hay will spread 

 the seed. Sufficient resting spells should be given any pasture 

 at suitable times, as nothmg runs a pasture out, and especially 

 a dry pasture, so quickly as continuous stocking with the same 

 class of animals. For their favorite food plants being kept co:i- 

 tinuously eaten down, and not allowed to seed, are eventuallv 

 killed. The ground is also in the meantime graduallv taken up 

 with less desirable plants. A rotation of different kinds of stock, 

 with intervening rests, is beneficial not onlv to the pastures, but 

 has a direct influence on the health and condition of the stock and 

 on the reduction of their parasites. In fact the success of stock 

 raising for profit probably hangs more on the care and judgment 

 given to this than anything else, for no matter how well bred one's 

 stock may be, imless it be properly fed and kept in good health, 

 it will not bring full' profit. 



On the Molokai Ranch I found that by resting the pastures, 

 grasses almost killed out came gradually back, and the feed was 

 much improved. Of course on all ranches this could not be 

 followed. At first there was great difficulty in getting informa- 

 tion on drought-resisting grasses. Then the bulletins of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture were consulted, and later other publica- 

 tions treating on this subject, principally the Australian Gov- 

 ernment publications, for the same problem has been confronting 

 several countries in the last number of years. Another difficulty 

 was to get seed, most of the plants we desired to try not being 

 in cultivation and the seed not in the market. 



The opening of the United States Experiment Station under 

 Mr. Jared G. Smith, who has wide experience in pasture grasses 

 and in investigating the problem of regrassing denuded arid range 

 country, helped us in this, and brought additional opportunities 

 to the Hawaiian stock raisers. Mr. Smith has taken much inter- 



