738 



TEE AORICULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



Chewing's Fescue Grass, 



THE Minister of Agriculture has ob- 

 tained a quantity of Chewing's Fescue 

 Grass for which he will be glad to receive 

 applications for small quantities from all 

 who are prepared to make trial experi- 

 ments with the seed. 



This seed has lately attracted a good 

 deal of attention in New Zealand, owing 

 to its suitability for poor lands on which 

 other grasses die out. In sowing, it is 

 desirable to bulk up with rye grass, or 



some other less permanent grass, and on 

 dry lands a heavy seeding is recom- 

 mended. 



Wheat, 



SEVERAL 2 lbs. samples of different 

 varieties of wheat have also been re- 

 ceived, and will be distributed to any 

 who wish to experiment in wheat grow- 

 ing. 



South African intiigenous Fishm 



THE Secretary for Agriculture, Cape- 

 town, has forwarded a communication 

 to the Minister of Agriculture, pointing 

 out that very little is known of the 

 native fresh water fishes of South Africa, 

 and asking for the co-operation of this 

 Government in the collection of informa- 

 tion on this important subject, which has 

 a very direct bearing on the work of trout 

 acclimatization. Dr. Gilchrist, of the 



Cape, considers that it would be of great 

 value if arrangements could be made for 

 specimens of indigenous fish to be for- 

 warded to him for examination and re 

 port. The Minister will at any time be 

 pleased to receive such specimens, accom- 

 panied with particulars as to time and 

 place of capture, and will forward speci- 

 mens so supplied to him to Dr. Gilchrist 

 at the Cape. 



Return of the Dairy Expert. 



MR. E. 0. CHALLIS, the Government 

 Dairy Expert, has returned to the 

 Colony and resumed his duties. During 

 his absence he visited, with the object of 



studying the latest methods, some of the 

 leading creameries of the United States, 

 Canada, England, Scotland, and Denmark. 



District Reports. 



BUL"WER, January 25th.— Heavy rains have 

 continued to fall regularly up to the present 

 date, and Mother Earth is thoroughly saturated. 

 During the last fortnight we have only had one 

 day in Bulwer without rain. All kinds of trees 

 and shrubs have made considerable growth 

 this season in consequence of the plentiful 

 supply of rain. Even the slow-growing Pinus 

 insignus and firs, which made little or no 

 growth last season, have made considerable 



growth. The loquat trees in Bulwer, which 

 have made very little growth for years, have now 

 shot up considerably. I am sorry to have to re- 

 port that the top grub, or caterpillar, in the 

 mealies has been most destructive throughout 

 this Division. This, following the damage done 

 by the underground grub at planting, will affect 

 the annual yield to a serious extent, I fear. 

 Fruit just now is very plentiful, especially 

 plums, in many varieties, and has been the best 



