92 PASTURE PLANTS AND PASTURES OF N.Z. 



The land that has been occupied but unimproved for 50 or 

 60 years is of course not of the best quality, and the best sole 

 of grass cannot be expected to grow upon it. Profitable 

 results are obtained if the carrying capacity is increased 

 by an amount that more than pays for the cost of labour 

 and material. Yet one often sees back country ploughing 

 condemned because the resultant pasture is poor, or thin, 

 or obscured by sorrel. It, however, cannot be doubted that 

 the poorest of improved pastures is often superior in carry- 

 ing capacity to unimproved tussock. On the tussock^ there 

 appears to be ample feed, where in reality there is very 

 little, owing to the unpalatability of the tussock and the 

 associated plants. 



Where attempts at improving tussock really do fail, 

 is where weed grasses, such as Sweet Vernal, take possession 

 of the ploughed land. This result probably follows the 

 sowing of short-lived grasses such as the Rye Grasses for 

 permanent pasture. Cocksfoot in liberal proportions 12 to 

 14 pounds per acre, with one pound each of Crested Dogstail 

 and Poa pratensis is the type of mixture required, so that a 

 close and permanent turf may be formed. Of course ploughing, 

 working and seeding on such a scale does not look profitable 

 for the poor land we are considering, but it has many more 

 chances of being profitable than has the plan of ploughing, 

 and then saving a small expense by sowing unsuitable grasses 

 that soon die out, that admit the ingress of worthless weeds 

 and that need ploughing again in a few years' time. 



There is much of the tussock land of the South Island, 

 however, that is stony, or too steep or poor to pay for 

 ploughing, and which yet can be improved. The introduc- 

 tion of Danthonia pilosa by the means suggested on p. 27. 

 is well worth considering, but should not be resorted to until 

 the following plan has been tried. Broadcast Cocksfoot 

 over the tussocks in as great quantities as convenient, say 



