INTRODUCTION GRAZING DISTRICTS. xxiii 



of many pastures, more particularly those that have been laid down for a few 

 years. Under ordinary conditions it produces an abundance of seed, and 

 when the autumn rains set in they germinate readily. During the spring 

 months, should rain fall at frequent intervals, the clover grows rank, and 

 when cows eat ravenously of it in this state it sometimes produces hoven. 

 "With this exception dairymen look upon clover as a valuable pasture plant. 

 Prairie grass is conspicuous in most pastures. It is a valuable winter and 

 early spring grass, and its rich succulent herbage is much relished by stock. 

 Trifolium procumiens, Linn, is very common in some pastures, but it is not 

 considered to be of very high feeding value. Bib grass (Plantago lanceolata> 

 Linn.) is very plentiful. Most dairymen look upon this plant as excellent 

 feed for cows, and it is considered to increase the flow of milk of dairy cattle 

 that eat it. Perhaps the most useless grass, from a dairyman's point of view, 

 that has ever been introduced to the South Coast is the " meadow soft grass " 

 or " Yorkshire fog" (Holcus lanatus, Linn.). During the recent propitious 

 seasons it has spread over large areas, much to the disgust of many persons. 

 Its light seeds are distributed far and wide by every wind that blows, so that 

 it is easy to account for the extensive area of its occupation. It is said that 

 the seeds in the first instance were introduced with cocksfoot seed from New 

 Zealand. These are the principal exotic forage plants and grasses which 

 form a great part of the permanent pasture in the South Coast. In both old 

 and new pastures, but more particularly in the former, there is a large 

 percentage of indigenous grasses and forage plants, and in dry seasons these, 

 especially "couch grass" (Cynodon dactylon, Pers.), often prove the main- 

 stay of many of the pastures. Andropogon affinis, R. Br., one of the native 

 blue grasses, is highly spoken of. Many plants that I saw were much eaten 

 down, notwithstanding that other herbage was plentiful, " Meadow rice 

 grass," (J&Licrolcena stipoides" B/. Br.), is another valuable pasture grass 

 which is very common in some places, and so are Eragrostis leptostachya, 

 Steud., Poa ccespitosa, Porst., and many others. Perhaps the least liked of 

 all the native grasses is the " Parramatta" or " tussock grass (Sporobolus 

 indicus, R. Br.). Whilst young it is really good herbage, but when it become 

 old the stems and leaves are very tough and harsh. When cattle eat it in 

 this state for any length of time it often loosens their teeth, so much so 

 that sometimes they drop out. It is said that horses' teeth are also affected 

 though in a less degree, should they be kept on pasture where this grass 

 predominates. In some pastures that had been laid down with exotic grasses 

 many years ago, the " Parramatta grass" and the "couch grass" have almost 

 taken possession of the land. Still, some persons think these plants make 

 fairly good pasture in dry seasons. 



SUPPOSED Poisonous PLANTS. 



Fungoid pesls. 



Much of the original vegetation of the Illawarra district was of a semi- 

 tropical nature when the early settlers took up the land for homestead pur- 

 poses. On the rich, basaltic hills and in many of the valleys the vegetation 

 formed a perfect jungle, and many of the trees were of gigantic proportions, 

 the clearing of which was very laborious and costly. In stony places, and on 

 some of the steep hill sides, much of the original vegetation is still to be 

 seen growing in all its native luxuriance. Amongst such a diversity of 

 plants it can easily be supposed that when any cattle died in a somewhat 

 mysterious way different kinds of this luxuriant vegetation have at one time 

 or another been suspected of having poisonous properties, and certain plants 



