14 AUSTRALIAN GRASSES AND PASTURE PLANTS 



it where it has disappeared. Many experienced stock-owners 

 have informed me that in the early days of pastoral occupation, 

 when the shrubby vegetation was a prominent feature on their 

 grazing areas, ordinary droughts had no great terror for them, 

 as most kinds of pasture animals throve and kept in good 

 condition on it until rain fell and the more tender and nutri- 

 tious herbage again became plentiful. Although this shrubby 

 vegetation is so highly appreciated by experienced pastoralists 

 no systematic attempts have been made to conserve it on a 

 large scale, but it would be well worth doing, for one must 

 never lose sight of the fact that the rainfall in many parts 

 of the interior is uncertain. A simple method of conservation 

 could be initiated by fencing with rabbit-proof netting some 

 of the best areas, and only allowing stock access to them when 

 the more tender plants had temporarily disappeared. Even 

 then stock should be judiciously fed on the leaves of these 

 shrubs, and no unnecessary destruction permitted. In addi- 

 tion to conserving the existing shrubs, such fenced-in areas 

 would be the best possible protection to any seedlings that 

 might spring up, and so those most useful forage plants would 

 be perpetuated indefinitely. When lopping the taller-growing 

 shrubs that do not bear pruning well some of the smaller 

 branches only should be cut, so that those left will keep the 

 roots active and the sap in circulation. This will conduce to 

 the formation of new growth, and so prolong the life of the 

 plant. 



The Importance of Native Trees to the Pastoral Industry. 

 Many trees of economic value and of great importance to 

 the pastoral industry, inasmuch as their leaves provide good 

 feed for stock during prolonged periods of dry weather, grow 

 in more or less abundance over immense tracts of country 

 on the droughty inlands. In addition to producing feed for 

 the animals they provide them with grateful shade from the 

 fierce heat of the sun in summer, and shelter from the cold 



