i6 



of green plant per acre, but the fodder is very watery, and does not 

 appear to be very palatable to stock when offered for the first time. 

 The watery juices of the stem seem to be destitute of saccharine 



matter during all stages of growth In the Journal of 



the Agri.-Hort. Society of India, 1894, p. 78, it' is stated : Avery good 

 crop was raised this season. After the stalks had reached a height of 

 about 5 feet, they were cut down to within 1 foot of the ground ; 

 three weeks later a second crop was ready for cutting, varying in 

 height from 18 inches to 3 feet ; a third crop was cut a month later, 

 and yielded stalks about 2 feet high. In this manner, three good 

 cuttings were made in four months. It was found that from 4^ to 5 

 lbs. of seed were sufficient to sow an acre. The fodder is greatly 

 relished by cattle. At Lagos, on the West Coast of Africa, Mr. Millen 

 has successfully introduced ' Teosinte ' as a forage plant, and in June, 

 1894, he wrote ' I have planted a quantity of plants of Euchlama 

 luxurians ; it is the only fodder plant of those introduced which 

 appears to be growing with good results. 



Leersia hexandra* Sw., " Rice grass." — A widely distributed 

 perennial swamp-grass found in the warm regions of both hemispheres. 

 It has a somewhat slender stem 2 to 3 feet long, with narrow leaves 

 and panicled spikes. In the Philippine Islands this grass is regularly 

 cultivated under the name of Zacate for the purpose of supplying food 

 to domestic animals. It is treated like rice, being transplanted to wet 

 and previously-ploughed meadows. Bailey found it to be one of the 

 most relished by cattle amongst the aquatic grasses of East Australia. 

 In Singapore it is regularly gathered in waste places as a green fodder 

 for cattle and horses. 



Panicum colonum, Linn. — Not in Natal. 



Panicum maximum^ Jacq {P. jumentorum, Pers). " Guinea 



Grass." — It is best propagated by root cuttings. It 



should be planted about 2 feet apart in parallel ridges, at the com- 

 mencement of the rains. The rows of plants should form lines at 

 right angles to the ridges. This arrangement will facilitate ploughing 

 and weeding between the plants. In Madras this grass is known to 

 resist the effects of severe droughts. In old-established fields it is 

 advisable to pass a plough or cultivator occasionally through and 

 across the crop, and to manure the land thoroughly. Where the plants 

 have formed large tussocks, these should be reduced by simple 

 chopping with a spade or hoe at right angles, thus dividing each one 

 into four parts. Of these, three may be removed for planting else- 

 where, or they will form excellent bedding for cattle stalls. During 

 the cold weather of Northern India the plants dry up, and remain 

 dormant until the approach of spring. In places where frosts appear, 

 manure should be applied to the roots at the commencement of the 

 cold season. It is particularly enjoined that Guinea Grass should not 

 be grazed too closely. The " St. Mary's Grass " in Jamaica may be a 

 robust variety of P. maximum, or another species. It grows in large 

 tufts to the height of 6 to 8 feet, with the stems hard and indurated 

 in old specimens. 



* Indigenous to Natal. 



f Common in coast districts of Natal. 



