^75 



I 1)elieve, however, that it would pay to c?tal)h'j-]i a paddock of 

 this grass and to give it a good trial in the interests of the very 

 dry country. 



GRASSES FOR THE MIDDLE COUXTRV BORDERIXG OX THE DRy LAXDS. 



Danthonia: Xew Zealand oat grass. I sowed DaniJionia semi- 

 annualavis in the first mouths of 1901 and patches of it are to be 

 found on various sections and it seems to be spreading. Dav- 

 ihonia pilosa, which is the better grass of the two, was sown in 

 1904 and it has made a good showing, growing quicklv, seeding 

 freely and k'X-ping alive on very dry country through the drought 

 of 1906. In fact it stood the drought as well as Pas]:>aluni dila- 

 tatum. 



These Danthonias, natives of New Zealand, have come much 

 into prominence there in the last few years and I was astonished 

 to see on my recent visit, second class land where the better 

 grasses could not be got to make a good growth, carrying a 

 splendid stand of these grasses. This was accomplished bv 

 judicious stocking and careful use of fire. At certain seasons the 

 Danthonias carry fire readily, and ^;hey grow and spread more 

 rapidly when burnt. The firin.g of the land is also a great pre- 

 ventive of intestinal worms that are so troublesome in sheep anl 

 horses. 



The Danthonias are working wonders on the second and third 

 class land in New Zealand and I am sure would do a great deal 

 for the pastures here, if sown at 800 feet elevation and upwards, 

 where there is not too heavy a growth of the coarse grasses. The 

 seed heads when ripening have a high feeding value and sheep 

 and horses will go over and pick them oiT and fatten. I saw 

 beautiful lambs raised on Danthonia pasture and the wool from 

 grown sheep on lands under these grasses fetched a high price, 

 perhaps on account of the habit of the grass to grow throughout 

 the year. 



Eragrosiis hrozvnci, another Australian grass, fills a place on 

 the poorer land, but though it is still growing here from sowings 

 I made in 1901 it has not spread to any appreciable extent. 



Bromus unioloides: Rescue grass, is one that has shown itseii 

 well adapted to the uplands and regions bordering on the dry 

 country, in which latter place it only grows as an annual. As 

 1 remember it in New Zealand it would not stand heavy stocking 



