538 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH GRASSES & FODDER PLANTS 

 AT LEONGATHA IN 1902-3. 



By J. W. King. 



In order to ascertain the suitability of this portion of South 

 Gippsland for the growth of the various grasses, etc., catalogued by 

 the leading seedsmen of the State, a piece of land was dug and laid 

 out in beds twelve feet long by eight feet in width, and the seed 

 lightly raked in from May 25 to June 24, 1902. In all 35 plots 

 were prepared and sown, and one planted, with the following 

 varieties : — 



Crimson Clover [Trifolium incarnatum), Alsyke Clover [Trifolium 

 hyhridum) , Giant Spurry [Spergula maxima), Sweet-scented Vernal 

 (Anthoxanthum. odoratum), Birdsfoot Trefoil [Lotus corniculatus) , 

 Sheep's Burnet [Poterium sanguisorha) , Meadow Fescue [Festuca 

 jpratensis) , Tall Fescue {Festuca elatior), Rough-stalked Meadow Grass 

 {Poa trivialis), Meadow Foxtail {Alopecuriis pratensis), Crested 

 Dogstail [Cynosurus cristatus) , Timothy [Phlemn pratense), Creeping 

 Bent [Agrostis stolonifera) , Italian Rye Grass [Lolium Italicum), 

 Perennial Rye Grass [Lolium perenne) , Cocksfoot [Dactylis glomerata) , 

 Prairie {Broinus unioloides), Golden Crown [Paspalum dilatatum), 

 Kentucky Blue Grass {Poa pratensis), Hungarian Forage Grass 

 {Bro7nus i^iermis), Egyptian Millet {Penicillaria spicata), Japanese 

 Millet {Panicum crus-galli major), Red Fescue {Festuca rubra) , Narrow- 

 leaved Fescue \Festuca ovina tennifolia). Sheep's Fescue {Festuca 

 ovina), Hard Fescue {Festuca duriuscula). Evergreen Meadow Grass 

 (Arrhenatherum. avenaceumj , Bokhara or Giant Clover [Melilotus 

 leucantha), Sainfoin {Hedysarum onohrychis) , Sulla {Hedysarum coro- 

 narium). Yellow Oat Grass {Aveiia jiavescens), Kangaroo Grass, 

 {Anthisthiria australis), Guinea Grass {Panicum maximum), and 

 Chewing' s Fescue (Festuca duriuscula var.J 



In addition to the above^ the following was sown on October 15, 

 1902: — Rhodes Grass {Chloris Ahyssinica). 



The above is a very comprehensive list, embracing as it does most 

 of the favourite grasses and fodder plants grown in Victoria. As to 

 the land, upon which all were tried, it is a poor buck-shot soil 

 and sets very hard in summer. The plots were carefully hand- 

 weeded, and with the experience gained, I would urge that in 

 all future experiments of a like nature the seed-beds should be 

 not wider than four feet, so that they may be kept clean by a man 

 standing on the path and reaching over to pull the weeds, instead of 

 treading on them, as had to be done in this instance. In a district 

 like this, no matter what care be exercised, much injury is done to 

 the young plants by tramping or kneeling on them whilst the ground 

 is soft ; and unless one takes advantage of the few and far-between 



