96 On a General Introduction of 



It is, perhaps, not so easy to obtain for this purpose seeds of 

 the various fruit-bushes of the arctic or antarctic countries, or 

 from the Himalayan mountains or the Cordilleras ; but the 

 settlers, occupying the pastures of the Australian Alps during 

 the summer season, might secure for introduction and diffuse 

 over our higher mountains many of the wild fruits, which we 

 enjoyed in our native countries, such as the northern brambles, 

 the Whortleberries including Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), 

 the Bleaberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), the Cranberries (Vacci- 

 nium Oxycoccus) and similar North American species, such as 

 Vaccinium tenellum and V macrocarpum. 



But returning to matters of more immediate advantage, we 

 might at least in the warmer parts of the colony, with same 

 prospect of success, experiment on the cultivation of the moun- 

 tain Rice, which neither requires irrigation nor such a degree 

 of heat as requisite for the common rice. Amongst grains I 

 may also briefly allude to the Chinese Sugar-grass (Holcus sac- 

 charatus), of which the Caflir variety has been lately distributed 

 throughout the country by Mr. Archer's assiduity, under a 

 desire of adding to the vegetable treasures of the colony. 

 This plant can only be regarded for the present as a prolific 

 fodder-grass, but the time is, perhaps, not distant, when we 

 will profit from any experiments instituted on its yield of sugar, 

 and from ascertaining how its saccharine produce is dependent 

 on climate and soil. The Indian millet (Holcus Sorghum), 

 which is closely allied to the Sugar-grass, is, according to the 

 oldest historical documents of the Chinese, if not the most 

 antique, at least the first extensively used culture-grain of that 

 Empire. The Sorghum must indeed have been praised in the early 

 ages of China, when weight and measures of that country were 

 framed by the standard of millet grains. Besides the many 

 annual varities of this grass, an allied species with perennial 

 root, the Haleppo Holcus and the saccharine Pampas Gynerium 

 recommend themselves to our notice. Amongst numerous 

 fodder-herbs deserves the Italian Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) 

 prominently to be adopted at our farms, and no doubt, by the 

 dissemination of perennial and nutritious grasses, for instance, 

 the European Rye-grass (Lolium perenne), the Timothy-grass 

 (Phleum pratense), the Dogtails-grass (Cynosurus cristatus), and 

 the common English Meadow-grass (Festuca pratensis), our 

 pastures could be greatly enriched. Highly spoken of are like- 

 wise two Abyssinean cereal grasses, (Eleusine Tocussa and 

 Poa Abyssinica,) and also of the spurious Canada Rice (Zi;zania 

 aquatica). 



