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Paspalum dilatatum is a heat lover and grows most rapidly 

 under conditions of heat, provided it has moisture. It will thrive 

 at the frost line, but makes very little growth there in the cold 

 months. This, however, is not much of a detriment as during 

 these months feed is usually most luxuriant on the lower country, 

 and it comes in the hotter and drier months when the annual 

 grasses are dead and most perennials are growing but little. It 

 will be of especial value on ranches with a large proportion of dry 

 country, as a stand-by for the dry season on the middle lands, 

 much of which at present under pilipiliula and other inferior 

 grasses. These carry but a small proportion of stock to what they 

 would do under Paspalum dilatatum. I have planted roots of 

 this grass amongst thick pilipiliula and it has steadily gained 

 ground. When growing amongst thick manienie I have run a 

 fire through the latter 2nd though the paspalum was scorched by 

 the fire, in a few davs it had sent out fresh shoots several inches 

 long, before the manienie had got a start. The greatest draw- 

 back with it is the difficultv in collecting the seed, as the seed 

 even on individual seed heads ripens unevenlv. To collect good 

 seed it is best to shake the seed heads over a flat pan. This should 

 be repeated at intervals whilst the season lasts. 



Ranchers are sometimes disappointed at the non-appearance 

 of plants after sowing. This may, of course, be due to bad seed, 

 but may be that the conditions have not been favorable to its 

 germination. With altered conditions it mav later on show up. 

 Again roots mav be planted in the wet and coldest months and 

 very little growth be apparent for some time, but as soon as the 

 warm weather sets in it will grow luxuriantlv. 



On account of being unable to harvest seed with a high per- 

 centage of germinating quality bv machinery, the seed from Aus- 

 tralia where the price of labor is higher than here, is necessarily 

 high, and the best plan would be for the ranchers here to raise 

 their own seed, taking care that the seed paddock is situated where 

 it will get rain during the warmer months, when a maximujn 

 amount of seed can be gathered. 



On the Molokai Ranch, at an elevation of about t,ooo feet, it 

 seeds twice in the vear, in the earlier and later months of the wet 

 season. Between 800 and 1,200 feet is, I think, the best location 

 lo establish it. Planting the roots was originally practiced, but 

 I think the best plan is to sow the seed broadcast over the pas- 

 tures where the other grasses do not completely cover the ground. 

 Once established in a locality I believe that periodical burning of 

 the thick manienie will bring it in over the areas covered with- 

 this grass, as the stock will distribute the seed of the paspalum, 

 which will come up amongst tlie annual grasses that follow these 

 fires. 



Whether the fire would have this eftect on the pilipiliula land 

 I do not know, and perhaps plo^^ ing would be necessary where it 

 is very thick. When lands covered with pilipiliula at an eleva- 



