MONTHLY. 
Vol. XI. 
COLOMBO, JUNE ist, 1892. 
[No. 13* 
FORAGE GRASSES AND FOREST 
RESERVES. 
H E point disouBsed between 
Sir Arthur Gordon end Mr- 
John Ferguson on the re- 
cant occasion of the latter's 
reading his paper before the 
Royal Colonial Institute, as 
to the retention of forest 
reserves in our higher ranges, is of interest in more 
than one respect. Substantially, perhaps, both 
those gentlemen were in real accord in their views, 
though these appeared to differ. Both desire that 
the crests of our mountains which still are crowned 
with forests should retain their pristine glory of 
wood, but Mr John Ferguson believes that these 
might yet be utilized, and made to become a 
Bouroe of considerable revenue. The idea of the 
latter gentleman ia that, while retaining the forest 
trees as conducing towards an equable distribution 
of rainfall, the undergrowth might be cleared 
away and superior grasses cultivated which would 
become extremely valuable for pasturing live stock. 
Now many experiments have been tried to im- 
prove the grasses growing in this country, but 
hitherto it can scarcely be said that anyone of 
these have been attended with success. Cer- 
tainly in every instance under our own obser- 
vation grasses introduced and sown with 
this object have rapidly and fatally dete- 
riorated. Even with all the care and attention 
that can be and has been devoted to such small 
areas as garden lawns, that deterioration baa 
Boon become manifest; and it seems to be hopeless 
to expect to induce imported grasses to retain 
their valuable oharaoterieticB when exposed to the 
fierce heat of the tropical sun of tbia island. But 
Mr. John Ferguson's proposition seems to us to 
open out a 'vista of some chance at least o{ 
BUOOesB. No one can have passed through the 
dense forests of our lovje? a^id most arid "^.isiriots 
without coming across considerable areas of line 
Buoculent grass growing beneath the shade of the 
giant trees. Of tbia all cattle eat freely. We do 
tiot know by what namo this grass may be 
iBtinguiahed, but it seemed to us to partake 
^ore of the ohnraotpr a g^ov^i tliao ol grass 
properly so-called. But at all events it is certain 
that it is a valuable fodder growth ; and perhaps, 
were attention fully directed to the subject, it 
might be possible to become so acquainted with 
its full characteristics and with its needs as regards 
goil and shelter to enable it to be widely propagated 
throughout our hill forests when the undergrowth 
j has been removed therefrom. We should welcome 
any suggestion that can be offered upon this subject. 
The question, as it seems to us, is as to whether 
it would be better to extend past experiments 
made with imported grasses, or to study more 
closely the nature and habitat of such aa are seen 
to flourish in certain protected situations of the 
character we have described. So far as we our- 
selves recollect, the abort rich grass we have 
mentioned flourishes on a very poor soil; It is 
more dependent, we suspect, upon moisture and 
shade than upon richness of soil; but such con- 
ditions would be readily obtainable in the forests 
which yet crown our hilltops. The only doubt 
upon our minds is as to whether the sloping land 
which prevails in these situations would permit 
of moisture being retained sufficient for the nu- 
triment of this grass. But, on the other hand, 
if drainage is more rapid, so is the rainfall more 
constant and regular. It would be very desirable 
if the undergrowth were cleared in such forests 
to try the growth of a finer description of grass 
than they at present yield and which we suspect 
to have but little value as a fodder grass. The 
close short herbage of the forests of our lower 
country would fully supply such a want could it 
be induced to grow in our higher altitudes, and 
the attention of our foresters might nrofitably be 
given to some experimenting with it in the direction 
named. From opinions offered by the late Director 
Ihwaites of Peradeniya and from experiments tried 
on the Nilgiris by the Madras Government Botanist 
Dr. Lawson, it seems certain that several of our 
indigenous hill grasses can be largely improved in 
fodder quality by being converted into hay. There 
would be the additional advantage in this process, 
that the utilization of foreat grown grasses in this 
mode would obviate the objections which forest, 
ofiSoera might offer to cattle grazing amongst the 
forest trees, 
PEEHISTORIC CORN. 
A dispatch from Burden, Khan., says: — A. J. 
Mercer, living near this city, liaa a patch of corn 
which is the rarest ever grown. The patch small, 
bat the Rrainisakiud that bus never been seen in 
this country before. Last spring Mt. Mercer opeced 
an aiioieiit mound on bia farm, and in it fo mid a lot 
of corn, along with certain prehistoric relics, (howiDg 
that the ooru bad been put in thg^s ^«ai,'ti a^o. Tbei$ 
