144 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo March, 1909. 



of the stomach and so delays the absori^tion of the poison, hence its 

 use in emergenc) treatment. Injected into the blood it may tide over 

 a crisis due to a dangerous fall of blood pressure. It will also stop the 

 bleeding for a time of a raw surface and also, for a time, blanch an 

 inflamed conjunctiva, &c. 



THE PITUITARY BODY.— This organ placed in the skull at the 

 base of the brain is also, like the suprarenal gland, of double origin and 

 structure. A nervous part we have met already as an outgrowth from 

 the thalamic region of the brain. The otiier part is epithelial in char- 

 acter. From the nervous portion an extract can be made which acts like 

 adrenalin but with much less intensity. An extract of the epithelial 

 portion is said by some investigators to increase the secretion of urine 

 by the kidney. That this organ is important is seen by the consequences 

 (or concomitants) of its disease, but of its functions we can say little. 



THE THYMUS GLAND (True Sweetbread). —This organ, placed in 

 the thorax in the young animal, undergoes atrophy when maturity is 

 reached. A suggestion has been made that it undertakes duties in the 

 w^ay of hormone formation in youth that are afterwards carried out by 

 the reproductive glands, but we are reallv quite ignorant cf its 

 significance. 



TOOWOOMBA CANARY GRASS. 



Phalafls hiilhosa L. appears to include a large part of the specimens 

 received as " PJtalaris comtnuiata." This grass appears to have an exag- 

 gerated value attached to it as a fodder plant. 



It certainly does well in good, 

 rich, fairly moist soils, and is 

 useful to that extent, hut for 

 poor and especially dry soils it is 

 far less useful and productive 

 than many already well known 

 grasses, both native and exotic. 

 The accompanying photograph 

 represents stands of Paspalum 

 vii-gatum and of the Toowoomba 

 Canary Grass after one year's 

 growth at the Herbarium with a 

 moderate supply of water, and in 

 rather poor soil. As can be 

 seen, there is no comparison 

 between the two grasses, al- 

 tiiough they were grown close 

 alongside each other under 

 closely similar conditions. The 

 fodder yield of the i'aspalum 

 would be at least three or four 

 times that of the Phalaris. 



virgaliitn f^_ 



' "IMicilaris 



Lununuiata 



A.T.E. 



TWO FODDER GRASSES. 



