4 



THE AGRIOULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



" The seed should be sown during first 

 spring rains. When one paddocli has 

 been grazed down, the stock are removed 

 to another. 



" I could not get any of the seed of this 

 year's crop before leaving, all available up 

 to that time having been bespoken, but I 

 have made arrangements for a consider- 

 able quantity to be sent shortly to the 

 Agricultural Department here for distribu- 

 tion. 



" I would suggest the publication of 

 an article which was contributed by Mr. 

 S. M. Williams to the New South Wales 

 Agricultural Gazette. All my enquiries, 

 and all my personal observation, bear out 

 what the writer says." 



The following is the article referred to 

 by Mr. Moor :— 



" Paspalum Dilatatum." 



This grass, introduced into the Rich- 

 mond River district about six years 

 ago (or in 1892), was quite a new thing, 

 and nobody knew anything as to its 

 grazing qualifications, or as to its suit- 

 ability for permanent pastures, or of its 

 value as a food for stock. It consequently 

 made slow headway, for farmers generally 

 are averse to trying anything new. Only 

 a few had the temerity to experiment in 

 anything like a practical way, the rest 

 waiting to see how it would turn out. 

 Fortunately for me I was one of the few, 

 and being pleased with the appearance, 

 texture, and rapid growth, and noticing 

 the avidity with which stock ate it, I de- 

 termined to give this grass a fair trial. 

 Four years ago I sowed my first seed, and 

 also planted a few thousand roots to form 

 a seed-bed. My farm is now practically 

 soled with pa^)alum, and the more I see 

 of it the better I like it. Of course I mix 

 other grasses and clovers as a change for 

 the stock, but paspalum is the basis of 

 the pasture ; it has proved itself a main- 

 stay for the stock, growing vigorously 

 when the fierce heat had withered up the 

 other grasses. I have carefully observed 

 it in all its stages and variations, and 

 have now come to the conclusion that 

 p .ii/)alutn dilatatum is the very best grass 

 for the farmer to rely upon as a permanent 

 pasture. I say permanent advisedly, for 

 after four years grazing the paddocks are 

 still improving and giving an increased 

 quantity of feed. It is with me carrying 



a beast to the acre all the year round, and 

 yet, during the season, I have in rotation 

 been able to shut up every paddock, allow- 

 ing the grass to grow and shed its seed. 

 By this method a perfect turf can be 

 obtained ; it does not spread from the roots 

 and joints like some of the other paspalum 

 grasses, of which there are a great variety. 

 It stands any amount of grazing, and the 

 trampling of stock does not injure it. In 

 this district it grows nearly all the year 

 round, but naturally a little slower during 

 July, August, and September. It stands 

 drought well, the frosts do not kill it, and 

 I have even cut it down and run a fire 

 over it, and after this severe treatment it 

 grew as vigorously as ever. There is 

 nothing hard or wiry about this grass ; it 

 is soft and succulent, and there is no part 

 of it from the crown to the seed-heads 

 that the stock will not eat. My observa- 

 tion of grasses has extended over many 

 countries as well as over most of the 

 Australasian Colonies, but I have never 

 met with any grass for general purposes 

 which would equal paspalum dilatatu n. 



I have no knowlenge as to its value for 

 sheep, but all other animals are fond of 

 it, and keep up good condition. Its 

 qualities for dairying purposes are un- 

 doubted, and every cow is kept in such 

 condition as to enable her to give her 

 standard of quality in the milk produced. 

 My average test at the milk-separating 

 station is among the very highest, ranging 

 from ;5-6 to 4-3 for butter fat. A more 

 reliable test, however, may be found by 

 referring to the Agricultural Gazette for 

 May, 189G, page 328, where Mr. F. B. 

 Guthrie has given the analysis of 

 paspalum hay. In the Agricultural 

 Gazette for August, 1896, Mr. G. M. 

 M'Keown reported on several of the 

 grasses he had experimented with, and it 

 is interesting (page 530) to read what he 

 says of paspalum dilatatum as regards 

 the vast volume of green feed to be 

 obtained per acre. 



In connection with the germination of 

 the seed, and the ripening of the seed- 

 heads, certain peculiarities will be noted. 

 The seed, if sown under favourable co i- 

 ditions, takes from eighteen to twenty- 

 one days before it will appear to have 

 germinated, and during that time it re- 

 quires both moisture and heat, even then 

 it does not all come up at the one time. 



