100 The Grasses favoured by Sheep. 



dampish hill country exist for some years, and their 

 growth of herbage be so modified as to suit the pastur- 

 ing of mountain sheep well. Their permanency would 

 obviously in the natural order of things be always doubt- 

 ful; the local resident grass would oust them where 

 natural decline through lack of accustomed soil diet 

 would not do it, questioning the wisdom of their ever 

 having been sown out of their element. The term hills, 

 in these remarks, should not be confused with uplands, 

 for flat lands in hilly country will often carry perman- 

 ently the best of grasses. 



Cocksfoot is, in New Zealand, a wonderfully re- 

 sourceful grass, and grows and apparently holds perman- 

 ently on most kinds of land of any quality, barring poor, 

 dry hills, or where the soil is of insufficient rooting 

 depth. Its bulk of growth is, however, less on the 

 poorer lands, but wherever it holds it is preferred by 

 the farmer to some other grasses quite native to such 

 soils, and which might give a greater total annual bulk 

 of growth. On inferior, dry hill and mountain country 

 the native danthonia thrives, and where it is the domin- 

 ating grass the suggestion is for a light breed of sheep, 

 accustomed to hills and accustomed by long inheritance 

 to the poorer feed of the poorer kinds of country ; a wool 

 type of sheep, in fact. 



In a general consideration of the respective stock; 

 uses of grasses, a distinct line of demarcation may be 

 drawn between the heavy-growing grasses of lowlands, 

 suited for the grazing of cattle, and to a minor degree, 

 the heavy breeds of sheep, and the finer grass plants, 

 whose natural abode is the hills, and which are essen- 

 tially adapted for the grazing of the lighter mountain 

 breeds of sheep, whose sound health will always be a 

 leading factor in the economy of sheep breeding. 



