12 



weed to eradicate, its seed ripening and being shed some time before the 

 wheat ripens. It is a fact that the seed lies six or eight years in the ground, 

 if covered one foot with soil, but by next year's ploughing if the seed comes 

 near the surface it will spring up so abundantly befoie the sown wheat does 

 as to choke the young wheat plants. It is almost impossible to cleanse the 

 land thoroughly foul with black oats in less than several years, even by repeated 

 ploughings. The rapid increase of this injurious plant is an object of serious 

 concern to the farming community. Thousands of acres of arable land, 

 especially such as have been in cultivation for some years, are totally ruined 

 by the black oats for the purpose of wheat growing. At the present 

 time the yield of wheat of many of the farms is diminished quite by two- 

 thirds, or one, in consequence of the black oats, and often the crops can only 

 be used for hay. 



Darnel Grass, or Drake. Lolium temulentum, Linn., probably an 

 introduction from Britain. In the cereal fields, also, this spreads with alarming 

 rapidity, as the seeds mostly ripen and drop before the wheat harvest. 



The following European grasses have also found their way to Australia, 

 but are less dangerous to cultivation in fact, they have improved the native 

 pasture near the coast materially, viz. : 



Wild Oatgrass. Avena fatua, Linn. A native of Europe. 



Early Flowering Hairgrass. Aim pracox. Linn. A native 

 of Britain. 



Sweetscented Springgrass. Anthoxanthum oderatum, Linn. 

 A native of Europe. 



Cocksfoot Panic. Panicum Crus-galli, Linn. A native of 

 Europe. 



Glaucous Setaria. Setaria glauca, Beauv. A native of South 

 Europe. 



Creeping Dogstooth Grass, or Couch Grass. Cynodon 

 Dactylon, Pers. A native of Europe and other parts of the world. 



Annual Meadowgrass. Poa annua, Linn. A native of 

 Britain. 



Ryegrass. Lolium perenne, Linn. A native of Europe. 



Rough Cocksfoot. Dactilis glomeratus, Linn. A native of 

 Europe. 



Floating Foxtail-grass. Alopecitrus geniculatus, Linn. A 

 native of Britain. 



"Wall Barley. Hordeum Murianum, Linn. A native of Europe. 



