GRASSES AND PASTURES. 7.'5"> 



grasses like paspaluni, although they may not germinate as well as English 

 grasses, will cover the ground and smother weed growth better than the 

 latter. 



Clovers should never he seeded as heavily as the grasses in a mixture. 

 This is because (I) the seed germinates more satisfactorily than that of 

 the grasses, (2) the protein content of the pasture would become too high 

 in proportion to the carbohydrate content, and (."{) the growth of the clover 

 is often more vigorous than that of the grasses. In a mixture, 4 lb. per acre 

 is considered the maximum quantity for clovers. 



GRASSES RECOMMENDED FOR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. 



The merits of different grasses often form the subject of considerable 

 controversy among farmers. For example, in cold localities, Phalaris 

 i,itil,t,s,i is considered one of the best winter grasses yet introduced, while in 

 other parts (the South Coast, for example) some farmers are averse to it 

 owing to the fact that it is not permanent under stocking. Many farmers, 

 again, condemn a grass because stock do not relish it when grazed for the 

 first lime on the mature growth, forgetting that their stock have become 

 accustomed to a certain class of feed and that a new plant, particularly 

 when mature, may not appeal to them at first. Lack of permanence-in a 

 grass may be due often to defective management, such as overstocking, in 

 its early stages. This particularly applies to Rhodes grass and Phalaris 

 bulbosa. There is also sometimes a definite variation in the palatability of 

 a grass, owing to its being affected by soil and climatic factors. 



Few farmers have exact data concerning the value of various grasses they 

 have tried, and although the Department of Agriculture has done a con- 

 siderable amount of work in testing the various grasses at Government 

 farms and in co-operation with farmers, considerably more data are necessary 

 before definite information can be provided for specific localities. It has 

 been proved to be a good plan to try various grasses on a small scale when 

 little is known about them before laying down large areas. The following 

 mixtures are recommended for different parts of the State with a fair degree 

 of confidence that they will prove successful on good or medium-class soils: — 



North Coast. 

 Sum mer Pastures. Winter Pasture*. 



(1) Paspalum and White Dutch (5) Phalaris bulbosa and Bok- 

 clover. hara clover; Egyptian clover 



(2) Rhodes grass and lucerne. (particularly as a rotation 



(3) Kikuyu grass and elephant crop), 

 grass. 



(4) Couch grass. 



No. 1 should be sown in early autumn (February or March), or in spring 

 (September), at the rate of 12 lb. of hand-shaken paspalum seed and 4 lb. of 

 clover per acre. The paddock should be ploughed after a period of about 

 five years, and so«n to a summer crop such as maize or sorghum, and then 

 allowed to revert to paspalum. Only by this means can the maintenance 

 of a good paspalum pasture be guaranteed. 



No. 2 should be sown in early spring at the rate of 4 to 5 lb. of Rhodes 

 grass and 2 lb. of lucerne per acre. These two plants grow well together, 

 and a balanced ration is provided. The lucerne also provides good winter 

 feed. Rhodes grass should be allowed to become fairly well established 

 before being grazed. Under judicious treatment this mixture should last 

 for five or six years. 



