TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



5 



but plants may soon be noticed at all 

 stages of growth from three inches high 

 io those just breaking ground ; the reason 

 for this is, I think, that the earliest 

 matured seeds germinate earlier than those 

 which ripen on the same head a little 

 later. Sown under unfavourable condi- 

 tions, I have known the seed remain 

 dormant in the ground for ten months, 

 and then suddenly grow. I expect, how- 

 ever, a good many of the best seeds hail 

 been destroyed by insects during such a 

 long period. It is therefore, no use to 

 sow the seeds at improper times if good 

 results are re(][uired. In the Richmond 

 River District I have found the proper 

 times to sow are — middle of July to 

 middle of September, first week in 

 December to first week in February. In 

 the former it catches our spring rains, 

 and in the latter our summer rains— both 

 accompanied by heat, which appears very 

 necessary. The quantity of seed to sow 

 per acre varies with the requirements — 

 5 to 81bs. per acre on well-prepared ground 

 will soon result in a good paddock. It 

 1^ to 2lbs. per acre are sown after grazing, 

 it should be held up about September, and 

 allowed to grow and shed all its seed 

 naturally. It will soon spring up and the 

 young grass, if anything like a favourable 

 season takes place, will be tit to graze in 

 May. I consider that allowing the grass 

 to shed its seed naturally is the very best 

 and surest method of thoroughly estab- 

 - lishing the pasture. 



A striking peculiarity will be noticed 

 in the ripening of the seed. A vast quan- 

 tity of seed is thrown up, and from appear- 

 ances one would rely upon obtaining 4 or 

 5 cwt. of seed per acre— the seed, how- 

 ever, on each head does not ripen simul- 

 taneously, first a few grains mature and 

 fall out, then others, and so on for two or 

 three weeks, till all the fertile seeds have 

 been shed ; still a lot of seed-sacs will be 

 left, but they are quite empty ; the quan- 

 tity of seed, therefore, of first-class 

 qitality which can be saved is exceedingly 

 small cornpared with the apparent crop 

 As soon as the stalks begin to bend over 

 and attain a light greenish straw-colour is 

 the time to commence picking ; deal very 

 gently with it or you will lose the best of 

 the seed. The heads should then be 

 taken into a barn and well shaken ; this 

 shaking may be repeated two or three 



times next day, by which time all the 

 matured seed will l)e obtained. In leaving 

 the heads in heaps, be very careful not to 

 allow them to heat, or the seed woidd all 

 be spoiled. The heads may now for a day 

 or two be turned and thresheil, and 

 although the quality of the seed obt^ained 

 by this second manipulation is very infer- 

 ior, still a percentage of it will germinate ; 

 it may be used, therefore, for scattering 

 thickly over rough ground. 



If weather for picking is not good 

 exactly when it should be commenced, 

 and the crop allowed to get a little too ripe, 

 a good first-quality seed can still be ob- 

 tained, but the sample would be spoiled 

 in appearance by a lot of straw-coloured 

 empty seed-sacs. 



A good many people in other districts 

 have found a difftculty in getting the seed 

 to germinate. In my opinion this has 

 been due to tlieir sowing at the wrong 

 time of the year, and in some cases whei-e 

 very unfavourable seasons, droughts, etc., 

 have occurred after sowing. Never sow 

 in the fall of the year, but choose the 

 early spring and summer, just before the 

 ordinary season's rains may be expected. 



A great feature too in its favour is that 

 it is not difficult to eradicate if a paddock 

 shouldbe required for cultivation; plougli- 

 ing alone will not do it, but by cultivation 

 and bringing the plants to the surface, 

 rolling and harrowing to free the roots 

 from soil, it quickly dies by exposure to 

 the sun. It is very tenacious of life if 

 soil should be left on the roots, especially 

 in wet weather, but it does not grow from 

 pieces of roots like couch and some of the 

 poas, but given plenty of cultivation and 

 stirring and a few fine days and the 

 trouble is over. 



When the plants are far apart the grass 

 grows into big tussocks, but as soon as the 

 spaces are all hi led up it forms quite as 

 good a turf as any of the other grasses. 



There can be no question as to its being 

 an invaluable grass, and it is now being 

 eagerly sought for in this district since it 

 has passed the stage of experiment. 



ANALYSIS OF HAY OF "PASPALUM 

 DILATATUM." 



By F. B. Guthrie. 

 The hay, of which the following is a 

 complete analysis, was supplied from the 



