738 THE farmers' handbook. 



acts as a cover crop to the Rhodes until the latter is thoroughly established. 

 Certain native grasses like Coolah, Warrego summer grass, Native millet, 

 and Wallaby grass have also proved promising under cultivation. 



Generally speaking, however, the success of our native pastures in the 

 west depends on — (1) an intelligent conception of the good and useless 

 varieties ; (2) the subdivision of paddocks aud their judicious stocking ; and 

 (3) the prevention of overstocking, particularly after a drought period. 

 Good grasses should be encouraged in every possible way. 



Danger of Overstocking. 



It is evident that no hard and fast rule can be laid down as to the exact 

 number of stuck a given area will carry. ' Observation of the .condition of 

 the pastures themselves must guide the owner. There is no doubt that 

 subdivision of paddocks is necessary — (1) in oi'der to provide a change of 

 succulent feed; (2) to allow the grasses to seed and thicken up; and (3) to 

 prevent the better grasses from being eaten out by allowing the stock to 

 remain in too long. If the grasses are not allowed to seed at least once in a 

 year, or if any spot or. spots are allowed to be completely depastiu^ed and the 

 grasses to be replaced by thistles or other weedy herbage, the land is certainly 

 being overstocked, and few seasons are needed to see the consequences. The 

 good grasses become less and less in number, and as they are replaced by 

 weeds, the stuck avoid the worthless plants and continue to eat out the few 

 good grasses that remain. The natural consequence is the substitution of 

 weeds and noxious grasses for good pasture plants. 



An interesting experiment has been conducted at Coonamble Experiment 

 Farm over the last five years to determine the effect of overstocking a small 

 native pasture. Two sheep per acre have been on the pasture continually. 

 When the experiment commenced a good quantity of Danthonia, Chloris, 

 Sporobolus, and other grasses was present in the pasture ; there were also 

 present Creeping saltbush, AlUmanthera triandra, and other herbs. At 

 the present time all grasses have completely disappeared, and the whole of 

 the vegetation is confined to burr, trefoil, and saltbush. On a similar area 

 which has been protected from stock the grasses have increased considerably 

 since the beginning of the experiment, and the pasture now comprise a fine 

 grass mixture, supplemented by trefoil in the winter months. 



In stocking a pasture, the following points should be kept in mind : — 



1. Any weeds existing should not be allowed to seed. 



2. When stock are showing a partiality for the finer grasses, with the 



result that they are being eaten out, the animals should be removed 

 and the grasses allowed to recover. 



3. If the pasture shows indications of becoming thin it should be allowed 



to seed at intervals. 

 •i. Change of pasture, by the provision of different paddocks, is neces- 

 sary for the well-being of any gras^ land. 



5. The sowing of good strong grass seed should never be overlooked. 



6. Grass seed like paspalum, Rhodes, and couch grass seldom contains 



many impurities, mainly owing to the fact that the pastures from 

 which such seed has been gathered are generally clean. In the case 

 of the finer grasses, however, impurities are often present, and in 

 the case of grass seed from other countries there is also need for 

 caution. 



