22 



ordinary class of pastoral country, whereas the areas from which 

 the loose surface soil had been blown by wind storms were 

 regarded as irreclaimable " miniature Saharas," as it was asserted 

 that both grass roots and grass seeds had been removed with 

 the soil. At that time I reminded those stock-owners of the 

 wonderful recuperative powers of Australian grasses, of the 

 remarkable vitality of their seeds, and of the depth to which they 

 naturally penetrate the soil, and predicted that after the land had 

 received a good soaking rain the plants would recover, and if they 

 am not regain their pristine vigour, would certainly, with careful 

 ana judicious grazing, eventually produce valuable pasture 

 neroage, which would support millions of sheep and other 

 neroivora. My ideas were considered too optimistic then, when 

 ii was tne lashion to indulge in so much pessimistic talk. 



iwi? h0rt t . ime after the breakiQ £ of the drought I was botanising 



mlllS! We ? ern cmuitry, and aaw> as j had previougl predicted 



thi W f T!u C °7 ei ; ed With **»*i*Ql verdure that gladdened 

 Jli^ f tbe ftock-owner. On those at one time almost 



ITn 1 S / he gra8Ses were three feet high or more, and 

 Smn° ^ C ° Unt ^ resembled » magnificent wheat-field just 

 S g «! »Z'a ° n ? P astoraIis t remarked, "It is seven years 

 look at % M S V f kan f aro ° S™* (Anthistiria ciliata*), and 



four fee !' • a ° me ° f ««> Plante which I measured were 



different tSJ le m J e V ngh - Another observant grazier in a 

 grals which h. f K th i e We8t ?T ted out to me se ™ species of 

 cfurfnAhe 1^ ^ *"? ^ fore 8een 8 rowin ^ on hi » station 

 other g s ock ! T ?""* h * had been in Possession ; and several 



inLrmaUon and fh "JS ™ PartS ° f the West *"* similai1 

 areTac ical n™*"? « the occurrence very remarkable. Those 



seed's T The I eds mus haTi?^ ^IV* AU8traliaD «"»» 

 when the earth ™rW u™ dormant for many years, and 



germinated and «n£L ^P^™ conditions were favourable 



to mate tC cS&^, tt ^ eV f ^J 11 * Such fine P lants a * 

 recognisable W ! E f ^ Ct . S ln tke P^uree, and easily 



accuLmeT to y see Fo 1 . « M ^ fr0m those the y had **» 



drought I received ?£ i dt ■ f^* ^ T the breakin S of the 

 grasses, especial 11 ^ ? tl0 ? SCOres of specimens of 



and many Xtrl m i ked * n ST* 'I here heaV y raili had «*~. 

 previously 86 en " ^d L~ T" °uf erVed before " or " never 

 country. If a n' a S d l ere ^ht to be quite uew to the 



I should have had t ^nameTn^l^ .^^ Unkn0Wn ^ botanists 

 and add them to the S I 5, a number of new species, 

 the West. The abo^e f ac ts arel ^ UmqUe indi gcnous flora of 

 the truth of m y rem\ r k^7 T <2 ^WS^™* and clearly prove 



Many Austral * ^ be ^ innin g of this article. 



v^t^l^^l^™ or thick, knotty bases, 



sustain the plants dSjR? £l ^ f0P f^* 8 U P f °° d * 

 from extinction. I n !d v *L 5 weathei ' *** to preserve them 

 droughts, when every ves tge oLf f ^^ ^ durin 8 Prolonged 

 swollen bases, which are llJu* fol,a «* has disappeared, these 

 stance to prevent evZ^iT^V^ 10 ^ in « coolly sub- 

 ___«Po^m^nd then- strong, long fibrous roots, 



CThemed, 



