24 



cut up with Guinea grass for horses and mules. Good results have 

 been obtained by top-dressing with stable manure or bone meal. 



Melirds minutijiora, molasses or Brazilian grass (PI. VII, fig. 1), 

 seed of which was recently received from Washington, grows very 

 slowly. It bloomed during November. A portion of the plants cut 

 back in July ratooned well. The habit of growth of this grass resem- 

 bles that of Para grass. 



Chloris gayana, C. virgata, Rhodes grass (PL VIII, 2) , native of South 

 Africa, was introduced into Hawaii from Australia in 1904. From 

 the small area sown that year on Molokai ranch, seed was saved and 

 another planting made the following year, and the area gradually 

 extended. Forty acres are now in Rhodes grass on Molokai, and the 

 same area on the Parker ranch. These are the largest and most 

 successful experiments which have been made with Rhodes grass in 

 the Territory. Considerable quantities of the seed have been scat- 

 tered in other places upon these and other ranches. 



The grass is one of the best drought-resistant species ever tried 

 here. It is suited to medium elevations on leeward slopes. It has 

 an upright habit of growth, forming the seed head at from 2 to 

 feet. In moist locations the plants stool. The outside stems are 

 nearly horizontal at first, then becoming vertical to throw out the 

 flower stalk. These stems often root at the joints. Another habit 

 of growth noticeable in newly planted fields and where the plants 

 are not crowded is the formation of runners extending as far as 6 

 to 8 feet from the parent plant. These runners root at the joints. 



This is a valuable grass for haymaking purposes, and it is about 

 the only grass cured for hay in Hawaii. The stems are small and 

 cure readily. The best hay is made when the grass is cut in early 

 bloom, since the stems become woody and tough if the seed is allowed 

 to mature. On a Molokai ranch meadow, five cuttings have been 

 obtained annually, the yields averaging now about one-third of a ton 

 per cutting. The stand is thinner than formerly and the yields 

 are less than were at first obtained. Apparently rotation of crops 

 is as necessary with Rhodes grass meadows as it is with timothy 

 and other meadows elsewhere. At the Glenwood substation this 

 grass failed to ratoon when cut. 



As a pasture grass Rhodes grass has not been a complete success. 

 This failure is due principally to poor quality of seed, to the neces- 

 sity for a perfect seed bed, to its shallow root system, and possibly 

 to the fact that the cattle are too fond of it and graze it too closely 

 or pull it up. On the Molokai ranch the sweepings from the haymows 

 and seed otherwise collected have been sown, and yet there is prac- 

 tically no Rhodes grass to be seen upon the range to-day. 



On Haleakala ranch, where Rhodes grass and water grass were 

 planted on old cornlands which were later opened to grazing, the 



