GRASSES 21 



coast to the far interior. Where it is plentiful quite a bluish 

 appearance is imparted to large tracts of country inland, 

 hence its popular name. With the exception of the ' ' Mitchell 

 Grasses " it is perhaps the most widely and favourably known 

 of all the grasses in the interior, and pastoralists have formed 

 a high opinion of its value for stock feed. It is essentially a 

 summer grass, and in an ordinary season yields a great amount 

 of leafy herbage, on which all herbivora thrive and fatten 

 readily. If cut when the flowering stems first appear it can 

 be made into excellent hay. Having had this grass under 

 experimental cultivation for some time I can highly recom- 

 mend it for growing on rich land for permanent pasture, and 

 for making into hay the latter particularly. My experience 

 and observation of it, which have been considerable, are that 

 on poor, light soils it takes little root hold, consequently it is 

 easily pulled up by the roots when sheep, cattle and horses 

 are browsing upon it. The seeds usually ripen during the 

 summer and early autumn. 



In the warmer portions of the continent there is a very 

 fine, robust variety of this species, popularly known as 

 ' ' Tassel Blue Grass, ' ' occurring only on rich land, and often 

 growing more than five feet high. It yields a large quantity 

 of palatable herbage which makes excellent feed for cattle 

 and horses. This grass should be a useful one to cultivate 

 for ensilage. An illustration of the Blue Grass accompanies 

 this letter press. 



Blue Star Grass (Chloris ventricosa) is a fine pasture plant 

 growing from two to three feet high or more, generally occurr- 

 ing on rich soils in the eastern portion of the continent, and 

 fairly plentiful in some districts. During the warmer months 

 it produces a quantity of rich, succulent, leafy herbage much 

 relished by all herbivora. If cut when in flower it makes 

 capital hay. This grass would well repay systematic 



