﻿CuEL. 
  — 
  O71 
  Grasses 
  and 
  Fodder 
  Plants. 
  40i) 
  

  

  Festuca 
  drymija. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  grass 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  sown 
  with 
  advantage, 
  

   as 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  summer 
  rains, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter, 
  it 
  disregards 
  

   the 
  frosts 
  in 
  these 
  parts 
  and 
  goes 
  on 
  growing, 
  sending 
  up 
  its 
  leaves 
  that 
  

   supply 
  a 
  nutritive 
  feed 
  to 
  the 
  animals 
  that 
  are 
  evidently 
  glad 
  to 
  get 
  it, 
  and 
  

   winch 
  thrive 
  thereon. 
  

  

  Bromus 
  (jir/anteus. 
  — 
  I 
  received 
  seed 
  of 
  this 
  grass 
  from 
  two 
  different 
  

   sources, 
  namely. 
  Great 
  Britain 
  and 
  Australia. 
  They 
  appear 
  to 
  possess 
  

   somewhat 
  different 
  habits 
  of 
  growth, 
  although 
  their 
  botanical 
  characters 
  

   are 
  similar, 
  the 
  British 
  variety 
  growing 
  better 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  winter, 
  and 
  the 
  

   kind 
  from 
  Australia 
  best 
  in 
  the 
  autumn, 
  but 
  both 
  throwing 
  up 
  large 
  

   quantities 
  of 
  tender 
  succulent 
  feed, 
  bearing 
  feeding 
  by 
  cattle 
  well, 
  but 
  must 
  

   not 
  be 
  too 
  closely 
  cropped 
  by 
  sheep. 
  When 
  sown 
  down 
  in 
  permanent 
  

   pasture 
  they 
  add 
  greatly 
  to 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  hay, 
  both 
  to 
  its 
  bulk 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  

   its 
  nutritious 
  qualities, 
  and 
  can 
  therefore 
  with 
  advantage 
  be 
  introduced 
  into 
  

   permanent 
  pastures. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  several 
  other 
  bromes, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  varieties 
  of 
  grasses 
  that 
  

   are 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  pastoralist 
  to 
  sow, 
  and 
  which 
  I 
  should 
  like 
  to 
  mention, 
  

   but 
  must 
  wait 
  for 
  another 
  opportunity 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  will 
  now 
  pass 
  on 
  to 
  those 
  

   plants 
  that 
  will 
  yield 
  fodder 
  to 
  the 
  farmer 
  and 
  others 
  who 
  may 
  require 
  

   them. 
  

  

  The 
  Sympliytum 
  asperrimum 
  (prickly 
  comfrey) 
  has 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  again 
  

   received 
  considerable 
  attention, 
  and 
  wishing 
  to 
  test 
  its 
  value 
  in 
  New 
  

   Zealand, 
  I 
  obtained 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  kinds 
  from 
  England, 
  France, 
  

   Australia 
  and 
  other 
  places, 
  and 
  having 
  got 
  them, 
  subjected 
  them 
  to 
  test 
  

   culture. 
  They 
  have 
  grown 
  and 
  thriven 
  well, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  

   climate 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  it 
  will 
  find 
  here, 
  will 
  suit 
  it 
  very 
  well. 
  I 
  believe 
  

   it 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  very 
  valuable 
  plant 
  for 
  using 
  as 
  fodder 
  for 
  cows 
  to 
  increase 
  their 
  

   milk, 
  for 
  feeding 
  bullocks, 
  horses, 
  and 
  sheep. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  varieties 
  

   have 
  been 
  sent 
  me, 
  some 
  are 
  more 
  vigorous 
  growers 
  than 
  others, 
  they 
  can 
  

   be 
  easily 
  brought 
  here 
  in 
  wardian, 
  or 
  such-like 
  cases, 
  with 
  very 
  few 
  failures. 
  

   My 
  last 
  consignment 
  was 
  a 
  case 
  containing 
  one 
  thousand 
  small 
  roots, 
  they 
  

   were 
  four 
  months 
  before 
  I 
  could 
  get 
  them 
  in 
  their 
  case. 
  I 
  had 
  them 
  put 
  

   in 
  the 
  groimd 
  by 
  common 
  labourers, 
  and 
  yet 
  over 
  eight 
  hundred 
  of 
  them 
  

   are 
  now 
  growing, 
  they 
  have 
  had 
  no 
  watering 
  during 
  warm 
  weather, 
  or 
  other 
  

   artificial 
  care, 
  as 
  I 
  wanted 
  to 
  try 
  what 
  they 
  would 
  do 
  if 
  planted 
  out 
  and 
  left 
  

   to 
  themselves, 
  and 
  the 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  that 
  they 
  stood 
  the 
  driest, 
  hottest, 
  

   coldest, 
  and 
  most 
  windy 
  weather, 
  and 
  grev/ 
  through 
  it 
  all, 
  so 
  that, 
  bearing 
  

   this 
  rough 
  treatment 
  without 
  any 
  digging, 
  manuring, 
  hoeing, 
  or 
  other 
  

   cultivating, 
  and 
  yet 
  growing 
  vigorously, 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  able 
  to 
  

   stand 
  unfavourable 
  conditions 
  well, 
  and 
  if, 
  with 
  this 
  treatment, 
  they 
  prove 
  

   that 
  they 
  can 
  keep 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  live 
  stock 
  to 
  the 
  area 
  upon 
  which 
  

  

  a22 
  

  

  