INTRODUCTION. 



" GRASS," says Professor Martyn. in his letters on the Elements on Botany, 

 " vulgarly forms one single idea, and the husbandman when looking over his 

 inclosure does not dream there are upwards of 300 species, of which 30 or 

 iO may be at present under his eye." These remarks of Professor Martyn's 

 made so many years ago are substantially correct at the present day. 



Distinguished agriculturists have often remarked that a knowledge of the 

 comparative merits and value of the different species of grasses, and of the best 

 mode of cultivating them, is very much below that of other branches of 

 agriculture. With regard to Australian grasses these remarks are singularly 

 appropriate, notwithstanding that they are the principal source from which 

 Australians derive their greatest wealth. A new era now, however, seems to 

 have dawned upon Australia. In establishing departments of agriculture 

 throughout the colonies we may reasonably expect most valuable results to 

 accrue therefrom, and if these are assisted by the patriotic exertion of private 

 individuals, much of the ignorance at present existing with regard to the 

 value of our native pasture plants will be consigned to oblivion. By system- 

 atic experiments their yield could be ascertained and by analysis their 

 nutritive qualities proved. This would be an invaluable guide to pastoralists 

 and agriculturists, who could see at a glance what species were most suitable to 

 their requirements. 



The comparative merits of our native fodder plants and grasses should 

 form a part of the curriculum, of the national education. If there were 

 placed in all country State schools an enlarged drawing of each species that 

 is peculiar to the district the school was situated in, with its botanical and 

 common name, together with a short popular description and analysis, it 

 might make a lasting impression upon the young mind, and would, most pro- 

 bably, lead to valuable results in after years. It cannot be said we have no 

 material to work upon, for there are upwards of 3GO species of grasses 

 indigenous to this continent. All these, of course, are not valuable for fod- 

 der, but they have their uses in the economy of nature, which I shall show in 

 another part of this paper. Among other native fodder plants the most 

 numerou.-s and valuable are to be found in the natural order Chenoporliaceae, 

 numbering as they do for all Australia about 112 species, arranged under 

 fifteen genera, eight of -which are endemic. Some are found on the littoral 

 sands, while others extend to the arid central plains of the interior, and are 

 remarkable for their drought-enduring qualities. There are also many other 

 trees, shrubs, and herbs represented in other natural orders, which are 

 largely used as fodder, especially so during long droughts ; though there 

 is still much doubt to be cleared up with respect to the actual value of certain 

 of them. Even in the same district some persons will assert that a particular 

 species of plant is poisonous, while the testimony of others, which is equally 

 reliable, will assert that it makes capital feed. There are perhaps no more 

 conflicting statements made than with regard to the genus Eremophila, and 

 the allied one Myoporum. "While I must admit that very little is known of 

 the physiological properties of the order Myoporineae, still I cannot close my 

 eyes to the fact that both cattle and sheep kept in the country where these 

 shrubs are plentiful eat them with avidity, and thrive on them, without any 

 ill effects. Some persons assert that these myoporinous plants develop their 

 poisonous properties when in fruit, but whoever has studied the habits of the 



