384 Transactions.— Botany. 
sent them seeds of the Panicum spectabile and other suitable grasses; and 
confining ourselves to the growth there of this Panicum, Professor Sanders 
writes to the ** Pacific Rural Press” saying: “I need now only speak of the 
roots of the Panicum spectabile; a single seed will in one season produce a 
mat or tussock of stems forming a bunch a foot or more in diameter. 
From this extends a mass of roots or underground stems. As soon as 
frosts stop the growth of the top the roots seem to grow with accelerated 
vigour. At this season (February) of the year many of them are as large 
as a man’s finger, and some of them are a dozen feet in length. They are 
white, tender, and very juicy, looking somewhat like blanched asparagus 
stalks. They are far too scarce yet for me to test their economic value as 
food for hogs, but I have great faith in them. It grows from 8-5 feet in 
height, and is so dense one can hardly force his way any distance through 
it.” And when they wrote to me from Queensland that they wanted some 
grass-to stand close feeding, and that would not die out, I sent them some 
of our New Zealand couch ; and having tested it, they write to say it is the 
very thing for their purpose, as they have nothing like it for feeding stock. 
And the same kind of testimony comes from any part of the world where 
they will sow the appropriate grasses, and give the proper treatment. 
In all countries there are to be be found growing grasses that are not 
only useful in the place where they are native, but they may be beneficially 
introduced to all appropriate localities to increase the amount of feed upon 
each aere of pasture land. 
In this country many of the indigenous grasses are of excellent quality, 
and it is a very great mistake that they are not carefully cultivated, and the 
seed sown in the meadows amongst other kinds ; and now that the labours 
of Dr. Hector and Mr. Buchanan and others have by their iruly admirable 
work, both literary and pictorial, on the New Zealand grasses—a work 
Which reflects the greatest credit on its compilers, teaching all easily to 
, learn the merits of the indigenous grasses—it will be well for the farmer 
and grazier to collect seed and cultivate it, and, haying done so, to sow it 
in proper localities. . 
The Queensland Government has, also, published a most excellent illus- 
trated work on the native grasses of that colony, being some of the results 
of the most useful and scientific labour of Mr. Bailey and others in their 
investigation of the causes of disease in live stock, and the cause of the 
grasses disappearing. The Queensland Government are taking the best 
possible means to benefit all true colonists, as if they succeed in arresting 
the dying-out of the native grasses, and introducing the most suitable 
exotic kinds, no efforts could be directed to a more useful purpose. 
In these new countries we do not know how good many plants may be 
until they are properly tried, and it is only by actual experiment that we 
