INTRODUCTION GRAZING DISTRICTS. XXV 



land. The vivid green of its foliage in the driest of seasons no doubt offers 

 a tempting bait to stock. A successful dairyman told me that he has had 

 cattle poisoned through eating the leaves of this plant. He came to this 

 conclusion after he had made a post-mortem examination on a beast that had 

 died somewhat suddenly. Singular to say, the leaves of a very closely-allied 

 tree (Ficus aspera, Forst.), are considered by some persons to be good forage ; 

 indeed, I saw plants that had been very closely cropped by cattle. Premature 

 labour in cattle has been prevalent in some places, and many theories have 

 been advanced as to the cause of it. One dairyman I spoke to had been very 

 unlucky, and attributed it to planters' friend which he had liberally fed to 

 his cattle. Many experienced men, however, think that something else has 

 been the cause of the trouble, and no doubt think so with reason. Planters' 

 friend, although a very exhausting crop, is largely grown as auxiliary feed for 

 dairy cattle, and is considered very fattening ; but, of course, it should always 

 be fed to stock with discretion. 



Some years ago I called attention to certain parasitic fungi which affect 

 grasses at certain seasons of the year, and suggested that plants in such a 

 diseased condition might be the cause of some ailments among stock. From 

 observations made in the South Coast during recent years, it would appear 

 that fungi on grasses is really the cause of a lot of trouble. One stock- 

 owner tells me that after many years of observation and experience he is 

 positive that ergot (fungus) on rye grass is the cause of premature labour in 

 cattle. Some time ago he experienced losses from this cause, and again 

 lately. This fungus is more prevalent in wet than in dry seasons. Therefore, 

 it is not always possible to burn any diseased patch in pasture on account of 

 the humid climate. Where the seed stems of grasses, however, are attacked 

 by ergot they should be mown down, raked up and burned, more particularly 

 where breeding cattle are kept. I was shown a paddock of rye grass that 

 was very badly infested with a fungus (not identical with the ergot.) So 

 red was the grass that one dairyman thought it interfered with his milk 

 supply. These fungus diseases are well worth studying, more particularly 

 with regard to their effect upon stock. 



IMPEOYEMENT or PASTURES. 



There is nothing occupying the minds of progressive dairymen at the pre- 

 sent time more than the improvement of their pastures. During my recent 

 visit to the South Coast I was frequently asked for information as to the 

 relative merits of different grasses and pasture plants. In answer to these 

 inquiries I have invariably advised that those grasses which experience has 

 proved to be the best suited for the requirements of the district should not 

 be superseded until it had been proved that better ones could be found to 

 take their place. It will already have been noticed in this series of articles 

 that a good percentage of the Illawarra pastures more particularly those 

 that have been laid down for a number of years is composed of indigenous 

 grasses, some of which prove to be the mainstay during very dry seasons. 

 I would certainly recommend the conservation of the best of these grasses, 

 more particularly on the hills and hillsides, where the more tender exotics 

 suffer most during the hottest and driest part of the year. New ones also 

 might be grown in an experimental way, and when found suitable for any 

 particular locality larger areas might be devoted to their cultivation. It 

 should be borne in mind, however, that the best grasses in the world will fail 

 to yield good herbage 'under bad management. Too much stress cannot be 

 laid on the fact that most of the good and nutritious grasses require as good 



