720 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Dec, 1917. 



ANALYSIS OF LoLIUM PERENXE. 



Mr. Martiu J. Sutton gives the following analysis of this grass : 



Water 

 ♦Soluble albuminoids 

 finsoulble albujuitioids . . 



Digestive fibre 



Woody fibre . . 

 JSoluble mineral matter 

 §Insoluble mineral matter 



Chloropliyll. soluble, earbo-hydrates. 



♦Containing niti-ogen 

 fContaining nitrogen 



Albuminoid nitrogen 

 Non-albuminoid nitrogen 



Total nitrogen 



fContaining silica 

 §Contaimng silica , . 



Poa pratensis, " Engli.sli Meadow Grass " ; or " Kentucky Blue 

 Grass," is a perennial species, with creeping rootstock, very suitable for 

 light, dry soils, and adapted for sowing with other pasture grasses. It 

 stands drought well, and is frequently used for lawns and binding em- 

 bankments, being easily propagated by division of its roots. Its foli- 

 age is tender and nutritious, and suitable for stock generally. 



Bromus unioloides . " Prairie Grass ", is a valuable winter grass, 

 growing continuously, and spreading rapidly from seed, particularly on 

 rich and somewhat humid soils. It has proved to be one of our best 

 acquisitions as a lasting and nutritious fodder grass. Baron von 

 Mueller gives the following chemical analysis of the spring growth of 

 this grass, viz.: — Albumen, 2.80; gluten, 3.80; starch, 3.30; gum, 1.70; 

 sugar, 2.30 per cent. 



Sorghum lialepense, "Johnson Grass," or " Haleppo Grass," is a 

 perennial grass, suitable for permanent pasture in land of alluvial 

 nature, where it frequently attains a varying height of 5 to 7 

 feet. Two or 3 tons of hay crop may be cut from an acre dtiring the 

 season. Stock of all kinds relish it, and it keeps green in the heat of 

 summer. Owing to the matting nature of its root-stocks it should be kept 

 from cultivated land. Pldcum pratensc. " Timothy Grass," is a very 

 valuable and much-cultivated perennial fodder grass, and particularly 

 useful for mixture with other grasses for permanent pasturage. The 

 best advantage is derived from this grass when it is sown with clovers, 

 and it is well adapted for irrigated land, where the yield of hay is 

 usually from 2 to 5 tons per acre. It is, however, a hardy grass, and 

 thrives on almost any soil, and is much favoured by pastoralists. 



Festuca elatior, "Meadow Fescue," is a perennial grass, reaching a 

 height of several feet, and produces excellent nutritious hay. There 

 are several varieties of this species, the tallest (arundinacea) being very 

 suitable for irrigated land, preferentially among the best of fodder 



