MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 61^ 



purchase fodder. Their efforts failed, their cattle died, and with their cattle 

 all their accumulated wealth disappeared, so that Gujarat became a stricken 

 field." 



2. Among the measures suggested for dealing with such a fodder famine 

 the Eeport (para. 210) gives the first place to the Growth of fodder crops : 

 " We attach special importance to this remedy, not only because the fodder 

 grown on the f^pot is much more valuable than the stuff imported, but because 

 it has the collateral advantages of saving the cost of transport, of avoiding 

 delays, of employing local labour, and of keeping the cattle at home.'' In 

 para. 220 it is pointed out that " as a reserve, used to sotne extent in every 

 season, the leaves of trees are valuable, and the planting of the class of trees 

 and fchrubs most useful for fodder has obvious advantages ; "" and the Com- 

 missioners recommend (para, 219) " that the whole question of fodder supply 

 in its preventive aspect, be thoroughly examined by the Agricultural Depart- 

 ments of Local Governments." As this question, in its preventive aspect, 

 comes specially within the scope of the Indian Famine Union's enquiries, the 

 present memorandum is submitted with reference to certain drought-resisting 

 fodder plants. 



5, On application to the Director of the Eoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he 

 has been so good as to furnish me with valuable information, on the subject of 

 Sheep-hushes and Salt-bushes, contained in the Kew Bulletin of July and 

 August, 1896, In opening the subject, the Bulletin points out that " in the 

 warmer and drier parts of the world, lands devoted to pastoral industry are not 

 always clothed with the grassy vegetation familiar in temperate countries. Its 

 place is taken by dwarf shrubs and herbaceous plants other than grasses, but 

 which are no less valuable. The experience gained in South Africa and 

 Australia admits of practical application in other parts of the world, especially 

 where, as will be seen, the soil is intolerant of any other kind of vegetation." 

 The following list of such shrubs and plants summarises the information given 

 regarding them : — 



(1) Pentzia virgata,i'hQ " Goed Karroo Bosje," or " Sheep-bush," which 

 corers large areas of the Karroo Veldt in the centre of Cape Colony. It 

 appears that this plant, which is a dwarf tufted composite, requires the deep 

 fertile, lacustrine loam of the Karroo, and is not suited to barren sand, 



(2j Atriplex nummularia. This is the first-named of the important family 

 of Australian " salt-bushes," which grow in soil impregnated with alkaline 

 salts, especially of soda, and are able to " live even through the direst periodic 

 droughts," The A. nummularia is a shrub which attains a height of 6 to 10 

 feet; it is peculiar to the Macquarie, Castlereagh, and Darling rivers^ and the 

 arid western plains in New South Wales, Darling Downs in Queensland. 

 Murray Scrub in Victoria, and the interior of South Australia ; cattle, sheep 

 and other herbivora are extremely fond of it ; and its drought-enduring 

 qualitieb are remarkablp, for it stands the hot winds in the Australian Central 

 plains with little check upon its growth. The seed germinates freely, and it 



