Its gveat value on Sheep Farms. 109 



plants, and a further experiment might be made as to 

 the effect of burning in increasing the supply of this 

 valuable sedge. So far as I can learn, wet ground is 

 essential to the growth of this plant, and one of the 

 correspondents alluded to alleges that it disappears on 

 land which has been drained. Some plants were brought 

 down from an elevation of 1800 feet on this property, 

 placed in the garden and watered at Clifton-on-Bowmont, 

 but they all died. The head gardener at Clifton Park 

 writes as follows with reference to some plants sent 

 here from the Lammermoors : — 



"Plants of this grass were received here in July, 1901. At 

 that time they were bearing seeds, and these were collected and 

 sown in a soil consisting of peat and silver sand. The seeds 

 germinated freely, and the young plants were kept in the seed 

 box till April, 1902, when they were transferred to their 

 permanent quarters. Some of tlie seedlings were planted in soil 

 similar to that in which they were raised — i.e., peat and silver 

 sand ; the others were planted in ordinary garden soil. All the 

 plants were kept in these quarters till April, 1904. During the 

 time they were under observation no difference could be detected 

 between the plants growing in peat and those in ordinary soil. 

 Botli plots were well supplied with water. Had it been other- 

 wise those plants in the ordinary soil would possibly have 

 suffered more from drought than the others in the peat, as peat 

 retains moisture longer than ordinary garden soil." 



These plants have now been transferred to the observa- 

 tion squares in permanent pastures. It seems probable 

 that this valuable sedge could be readily extended by 

 hurdling off pieces of land where the sedge is thickly 

 distributed, and until the seed had been blown away by 

 the wind. It is probable, from the behaviour of the 

 plants here, tliat they would flourish in any marshy 

 ground, even tliough it were not of a peaty character. 



I have now noticed all those plants which I think of 

 value for laying down land to temporary or permanent 



