Oct. 1, 1903.] Supphment t$ the tropital Agnculkinf^i." 
293 
pieces and steeped for 24 hours, — goes on to say 
that for fattening purposes for cattle"! do not 
know of any better food, in regard alike to its feed- 
ing value and to the superior quality of the beef 
produced." 
A PADDY PEST. 
In the report of the Agricultural Chemisfc to the 
Department of Agriculture, Mysore, reference is 
made to the extensive destruction of paddy by the 
"flv" known as Cecidomia oryza. 
The most noticeable feature of the affected 
paddy was that the stalks had no ears. Tliey 
were much below the normal height and termi- 
nated either abruptly as though cut off or 
were capped by a withered portion as a re-ult of 
the ear having been destroyed by the insect in the 
early stage of development. The stems which were 
closed at the top were found to be free from 
nodes. An attempt to tiller was observable, but 
the shoots were also found destroyed by the pest. 
Apparently the later sown paduy had suffered 
most ; and fields little cultivated and manured 
were the worst affected. 
The following is a description of Jthe pest : larvas, 
yellowish white, mnggot-like ; burrow in the 
stem before the internodes have begun to 
develope, that is before the paddy has begun to 
shoot. They are generally found close to the 
junction of root and stem. Generally one maggot is 
found rarely two or three occur in the same stem. 
They leave the outside intact and keep to the central 
portion. Owing to the absence of pupae in the 
stems, it is inferred that perforation takes place 
outside them. Full-grown larvae measured t'| to 
\ of an inch were never found in strilks 
that had made an attempt to "shoot, " The older 
01 these stalks were open at the top and had died 
bdck to the crown ; the younger, which were still 
gieen, were closed at the top ; but below this a 
hule was to be seen from which insects hud 
evidently escaped. In 75 per cent of the youngest 
aud greenest stalks were to be observed clusters 
o from 10 to 30 egg-like bodies (probably pupae) 
cfustered into an oval, and supposed to be the 
plupae of a parasite feeding on the maggots. 
These, when hatched, produced tiny black flies, 
probably a species of Prototrupids. The stalks 
without a hole near the top contained these flies, 
dead or alive. One of the reasons suggested 
for the sudden appearance of the pest is the 
abnormally low water supply of the season, so 
that irrigation was necessarily less than usual, 
with the probable result that the insect had better 
opportunity to find safe places to pupate. Another 
reason suggested is that there might have been 
an epidemic in the parasites referred to, aud in 
consequence a large number of insects had escaped 
destruction during the previous year, aud so laid 
eggs from which maggots were hatched this year. 
The remedies suggested are to sow the paddy as 
early as possible, and cultivate and manure the 
crop as well as circumstances will permit. 
Similar remedies are said to have been found 
effective with the Hessian fly {Cecidomia destruc- 
tor), an insect of a similar character. 
Local cultivators should profit by the hints given 
ia regard to this pest, 
PASPALUM DILATATtJM.^= 
Interest has lately been aroused in the fodder 
plant known to botanists as Paspalum dilatatum, 
Poir. The present accordingly seems a fitting 
opportunity to bring together in a convenient 
form the information on this subject which at 
present exists in the Office of the Eeporter on 
Economic Products. 
The late Baron Ferd. von Mueller, K.C. M.G., 
etc., in his work Select Extra-Tropical Plants, 
page 218, gives the following description of the 
plant : — " Extra-tropical, South America. Peren- 
nial, of excellent quality for fodder. Mr. Bac- 
chus found it hardy in Victoria up to a height 
of 2,000 feet. It grew in New South Wales, after 
drought was followed by heavy rains, 4^ feet 
in little more than two months. It is closely 
allied to the Mexican P. virgatum, L., introduced 
into Australia like many other fodder grasses by 
the writer." 
An interesting article on Paspalum dilatatum 
by Mr. C. Sargeant recently appeared in The Mel- 
bourne Leader. The paper was subsequently re- 
printed by Indian Gardening in its issue of 27th 
April. 1899, and is here given in full : — 
" That large and fertile district in Gippsland, 
known as the scrub country is rapidly being 
reclaimed ; but the conversion of these regions into 
valuable grazing and agricultural farms has not 
been easily accomplished. Very large sums of 
money have been lost by the early pioneers in 
finding out the most suitable grass to sow. At 
first rye grass and white clover [were tried,] 
but the results vvere distinctly not favourable. 
The grass grew well enough, but could not 
resist the caterpillar.-. Then a fresh start was 
made with cocksfoot, which proved an excellent 
grass, but failed in its turf-forming capacity. No 
matter how thickly it was so.vn, it had a strong 
tendency to thin out and became tussocky. Thu« 
the soil becomes too much exposed, with injury 
to the pastures during hot weather. The cocks 
foot, being a shallow-rooted grass, suffers muc^ 
from drought, and, further, is peculiarly liable t^ 
the ravages of the grasshoppers. Nothing can b« 
said against the cocksfoot as a fattening grass, 
the finest lambs that enter the Melbourne market 
being from cocksfoot and clover pastures; while 
cows fed on it give excellent milking results. If 
this grass would only form a turf nothing could 
be better, 
" At the beginning of last year The Leader drew 
attention to a new grass — Paspalum dilatatum— 
that had been cultivated with much success by 
the Agricultural Department of New South Wales. 
Being much impressed with The Leader state- 
ments, 1 at once set about obtaining some seed 
for testing, and the results, so far, are most satis- 
factory ; so much so, that I have come to the cou' 
elusion that the introduction of this grass into 
the colony for the purpose of fodder and pasture 
is most desirable. W hile endeavouring to induce 
the farmers of this locality to look upon this 
* Being information colleoted in the Office of tha 
Eeporter oa Eoonpmio Prodaota to the Government of 
jndia. 
