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 Eural 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 

 vigom'. 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 3-5 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 acre of pasture land. 



In this comitry 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 truly admirable 

 work, both literary and pictorial, on the New Zealand grasses — a work 

 which reflects the greatest credit on its compilers, teaching aU 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, having done so, to sow it 

 in proper localities. 



The Queensland Government has, also, pubHshed a most excellent illus- 

 trated work on the native grasses of that colony, being some of the results 

 of the most usefu.1 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 



