THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 67 



Echium is a difficult genus, without a sharp line between some of the 

 species; and it is my intention, if I receive good specimens of the other 

 species acclimatised in Australia, to return to the subject, for the last word 

 has not been said in regard to the Australian forms. 



In good land, where the plants are wide apart, I have seen one plant 5 ft. 6 in. 

 high, and up to nine flower-stalks on each, but where it has been established 

 some time it grows as close together as the wheat plants in a crop, and does 

 not stool at all just grows one straight stalk. E. A. HAMILTON, Cumberoona, 

 via Albury. 



Fodder or Other Uses. 



It is in no way injurious to stock ; in fact, in the early spring I consider it 

 one of our best fodder plants, as the first leaves are very succulent, and it is 

 the quickest-growing plant during the frosty weather. When the plant matures, 

 however, the flower-stalk is very rough and hairy, and the stock will not eat it ; 

 and then, when it seeds and dies off, all the grass is killed underneath, and 

 there is nothing left on the paddock at all. E. A. HAMILTON. 



That " Paterson's Curse " produces some feed is undoubted, but it is a 

 smothering, rough, coarse plant, whose room is far better than its company. 



Hvw to get rid of it. The intensely bristly character of this weed calls for 

 its destruction wherever it appears. It should be cut out with hoe or mattock 

 before it seeds, wherever it begins to make its appearance. Being quite an 

 ornamental plant when in flower, it has been spared for sentimental reasons ; 

 that is the danger in the case of a weed such as this. 



Both sheep and cattle eat the plant when there is little or no other feed to 

 be had. Mr. P. Hore, of Mugwee Estate, kept a number of sheep in a small 

 paddock last spring that was covered with " Paterson's Curse," and the sheep 

 completely ate it out, and appeared to do well on it. The worst of 

 the weed is that it chokes all other vegetation, and neither grass or other 

 vegetation will grow near it ; and when it dies the ground is left black and 

 unprofitable. Mr. F. FRENCH, Inspector of Stock, Albnry, l$th April, 1904. 



A neighbour of ours has got rid of it in a small paddock by running a very 

 large mob of sheep on it and eating it quite bare several times in the year, so 

 preventing it from seeding. By doing this for three years he has his paddock 

 free from it, with the exception of a few plants, which he pulls up as they 

 appear. It is hard to estimate the damage it is doing here, as people have not 

 yet begun to try and get rid of it; but I offered 6s. per acre to have it hand- 

 picked last spring, and it was not accepted. Our neighbour offered a party of 

 Syrians work pulling it up, and they wanted 13s. per acre. E. A. HAMILTON. 



Where Found. 



This weed was introduced to this district by the people (Patersons) who 

 lived in a small farm adjoining this estate, as a garden flower, about twenty- 

 tive years ago. It did not spread much at first, but grew out on a small hill 

 near the house, gradually enlarging every year. However, about eight years 

 ago it got through the fence on to a travelling stock reserve and into our 

 paddocks. Then, as soon as the stock began to travel through it, it spread very 

 quickly, and now it is all over the district, particularly on stock routes and 

 reserves, being carried to these by the stock. There is one patch of about 300 

 acres in this property, where it is growing as thick as possible : and there the 

 plant merely sends up one flower-stalk to a height of from 1 to 3 feet, but 

 where the plants are growing thinner it grows (on good soil) to a height up 

 to 5 feet, and with a spread across of about 3 feet. Along the road for about 

 4 miles it is one blue stretch. The plant has spread right up to the head of 

 the Murray, and some local drovers told me they saw it growing at Bourke. 

 E. A. HAMILTON, Cumberoona, via Albury, 15th March, 1904. 



There is no question that the plant is spreading. I have seen it or heard 

 of it on reliable evidence from many of the drier parts of this State. Some 

 localities have already been given; others are Dubbo, Nyngan, Paldrumatta 

 Bore, via Wilcannia. In Victoria, like New South Wales, it comes from the 

 Upper Murray. It also cornes from Geelong. In South Australia it has 

 been sent from the Flinders Range. We have much to learn of its distri- 

 bution yet. 



