76 



Pastures, Grasses, and Forage Plants. 



By Fred. Turner, F.L.S., F.R.II.S., 6cc. 



Introduction. 



The area of New South Wales is estimated at olO^TOO square miles, 

 or 198,848^000 acres. If tlie surface covered by rivers, creeks, and 

 lakes be excluded, tbe area would be 306,066 square miles or 

 195,882,150 acres. Wlien it is taken into consideration that the 

 greater portion of this area is devoted exclusively to grazing* and raising- 

 stock, it will be readily understood that the pastures are of consider- 

 able magnitude. According to Mr. T. A. Coghlan's " Wealth and 

 Progress of New South Wales for 1894," the capital value of the 

 pastoral property, including land, improvements, and plant, as well as 

 stock, was estimated, in 1894, to be £116,1 40,000, of which £46,000,000 

 represented the value of the land, £47,840,000 that of improvements 

 and plant, and £22,300,000 that of stock. The number of stock at 

 the close of the year 1894 was approximately as follows: — Sheep, 

 56,977,270; cattle, 2,465,411; horses, 518,181. The total quantity 

 and value of the wool produced in, and exported from. New South 

 Wales in 1894, was 331,774,424 lb, valued at £9,011,790. 



An examination of the preceding figures at once shows how important 

 and valuable the pastoral industry is in this Colony, indeed, it is the 

 principal source from which the inhabitants derive their greatest 

 wealth. 



The grazing areas of New South Wales may be divided into three 

 climatic zones. The coastal districts embracing an area of 38,200 

 square miles, the high tablelands covering an area of 84,900 square 

 miles, and the country lying* west of the Dividing Eange with an 

 area of 187,600 square miles. In the coastal districts the herbage, on 

 most of the grazing areas, is of a rich and varied character, and 

 provides feed for an immense number of daii'y cattle ; the dairying- 

 industry being a very extensive and important one. In other parts of 

 the Colony, in favourable seasons, dairying is also carried on, but to 

 a much less extent than in the districts just referred to. On a greater 

 part of the tablelands, the pasturage is, in an ordinary season, of a 

 rich and varied character, and immense numbers of sheep and cattle 

 graze and fatten during the summer months in that portion of the 

 Colony. The western division is, for the most part, devoted to 

 immense sheep stations. In that portion of the Colony a considerable 



