852 
Phleum pratense, L.* 
The Catstail or Timothy Grrass. Europe, North Africa, 
North and Middle Asia. One of the most valuable of all 
perennial fodder-grasses. Its production of early spring- 
herbage is superior to that of the Cocksfoot-grass. It should 
enter largely into any mixture of grasses for permanent 
pasturage. It will live also on moist and cold clay-ground. 
This grass and perhaps more yet the allied FUemn alpinmi, 
L., are deserving of an extensive transfer to our moory Alps. 
Eor hay it requires mowing in a young stage. The seed is 
copiously yielded and well retained. 
Phoenix dactyliferaj L.* 
The Date-Palm. North Africa, also inland ; Arabia, Persia. 
This noble palm attains finally a height of 80 feet. It is 
unisexual and of longevity: — “Trees of from 100 to 200 
years old continue to produce their annual crop of dates.” 
Though from the sap sugar or palm wine can be obtained, 
and from the leaves hats, mats and similar articles can be 
manufactured, we here would utilize this palm beyond scenic 
garden ornamentation only for its fruits. It is in the oases 
of our desert-tracts, swept by burning winds, where the 
Date-palm would afford in time to come a real boon, although 
it might be grown also in the valleys of our mountains and 
in any part of our lowlands. Several bunches of flowers are 
formed in a season, each producing often as many as 200 
dates. Many varieties of dates exist, differing in shape, 
size and color of the fruit ; those of Gomera are large and 
contain no seed. The unexpanded flower-bunches can be 
used for palm-cabbage ; the fibre of the leaf-stalks for cor- 
dage. The town Elche in Spain is surrounded by planted 
forest of about 80,000 Date-palms, and the sale of leaves for 
decorative purposes produces irrespective of the value of 
the date-fruits a considerable income to the town, and so it 
is at Alicante. As far north as the Gulf of Genoa exists 
also a date-forest. The ease, with which this palm grows 
from seeds, affords facility in adapted climes to imitate these 
examples, and we certainly ought to follow them in all parts 
of Australia. 
