586 SELECTED FODDER GRASSES 



crop. A well-tilled condition of the soil between the trees aids the 

 retention of moisture, while the light filtering shade afforded by 

 the trees favours the production of tender herbage. 



Pasture and Fodder Plants in Ravines, Patanas, Compounds, 

 etc. On estates there are often ravines, strips of private roadsides, 

 unopened forests or jungle, etc., which, though regarded as waste 

 ground, might be utilized for the growth of pasture or forage 

 plants. Unopened forests or jungle in many cases need only have 

 the tangle of undergrowth removed to afford the necessary con- 

 ditions for good pasturage. Patanas and chena land might also be 

 reclaimed in many places and utilized for pasturing, while native 

 compounds or so-called gardens could be much improved by 

 clearing away the useless undergrowth and encouraging the growth 

 of fodder or herbage under the shade of coconuts, jak trees, etc., 

 a factor which should also conduce to the improvement of local 

 sanitation and the reduction of malaria. Under the seapage of 

 tanks or reservoirs there are often considerable areas which might 

 well be utilized for grazing purposes or for growing green fodder, 

 the moisture and nature of the soil in such localities being usually 

 well adapted to this purpose. 



Fallow Rice Fields and Conservation of Fodder. After reap- 

 ing a harvest of rice, the goiya (Sinhalese farmer) usually leaves 

 his fields bare for a considerable period, in some cases abandoning 

 them for several years. If these were re-irrigated and planted 

 under intercrops of leguminous plants, the latter would not only 

 provide feed for cattle during the dry season, but would also have 

 the effect of renovating the soil. In some countries it is customary 

 to make provision for seasons of scarcity by converting surplus grass 

 or fodder into hay or ensilage. Ensilage has the advantage of 

 conserving forage plants in their green nourishing state, and keeps 

 good for several years. The method of procedure is simple, a pit 

 (called a silo) sufficient to hold from 25 to 50 tons or more of green 

 forage being excavated, and the earth so removed placed on top of 

 the mass so as to act as a covering and a weight at the same time. 



SELECTED FODDER GRASSES 



The suitability of grasses for fodder purposes depends in many 

 cases on the extent of care bestowed on their cultivation. It 

 is well known that the same kinds of grasses do not succeed 

 equally well in all localities, and that certain species are more 

 suited to some districts than others. English grasses, it may be 

 said, are seldom, if ever, a success in the tropics, and even at the 



