GRASSES 31 



parts of the continent. It is of annual duration, and its seeds 

 germinate readily after spring and summer rains, and the 

 resulting grass grows throughout the hottest period of the year. 

 It is generally seen growing in small tufts, but in favourable 

 seasons the weak stems lengthen very much, and form an 

 entangled mass of herbage, often two feet deep. The Lands- 

 borough Grass assumes a reddish tint hence one of its popular 

 names and gives a singular appearance to immense tracts 

 of country. It is a most nutritious grass and stock are so 

 fond of it, that when in autumn it often becomes so exceedingly 

 dry and brittle as to break into innumerable pieces they lick 

 up the broken stems and leaves from the ground. I had this 

 grass under experimental cultivation for some time, and raised 

 an excellent crop of herbage in less than three months from 

 the time of sowing the seed. When cut just as the flowering 

 stems appeared it made excellent hay, of which horses were 

 very fond. It is worth extensive cultivation in the arid in- 

 terior, either for temporary pasture, or to be cut at the right 

 time and made into hay. There would be no difficulty in 

 bringing this grass under systematic cultivation, for under 

 ordinary circumstances it produces an abundance of seed 

 which usually ripens during the summer and early autumn. 



Love Grass (Eragrostis leptostachya) is a slender species 

 growing from one and a half to two feet high, and occurring 

 in the eastern portion of the continent, including some of the 

 tablelands, but not very far inland. In some districts it is 

 fairly plentiful, and on good land produces rich, succulent 

 herbage much relished by all pasture animals. In the dairy- 

 ing districts it forms a good percentage of the herbage in some 

 of the pastures, and dairy stock do well on it. In favourable 

 seasons it grows nearly all the year round, and if cut at the 

 right time it makes very good hay. When the Honourable 

 Dr. James Norton, LL.D., M.L.C., asked me to botanically 



c 



