NAPIER GRASS, A PASTURE AND FODDER CROP FOR HAWAII 7 
to the time the planting material is needed. Well-developed hard 
stalks are best, not less than 3 or 4 months of age and not older than 
8 to 12 months. The stalks at this stage are well supplied with buds 
located at the nodes or joints just beneath the leaf sheaths. Seed 
canes may be planted full length or cut into pieces having from one to 
several nodes. Unless planting material is very scarce, it is advisable 
to plant only cuttings having at least 2 or 3 nodes each or, better 
still, canes with 4 or 5 nodes. A very successful method is to cut seed 
canes into lengths of 3 to 5 feet and lay the pieces end to end in the 
bottom of furrows plowed out about 4 feet apart. The furrows are 
then filled, covering the canes with 3 or 4 inches of soil, and the 
grass soon germinates. With this method of planting, a plant should 
appear at intervals of from 12 to 18 inches, or less, and a good stand 
should thus be obtained under favorable growing conditions. 
When planting on irrigated land the furrows may be made deeper 
than is necessary for good coverage. The seed canes are planted in 
the bottom of the furrow, covered with 4 or 5 inches of soil, and the 
furrow is not completely filled. The grass can then be irrigated, 
using the planting furrows to carry water, and germination is hastened 
by applying water a day or two after planting. 
Another method of planting, if less seed material is available, is to 
use stalk cuttings with 2 nodes each and to space them about 2 feet 
apart in the row, planting horizontally in the bottom of furrows. If 
single-node cuttings are used, the pieces may be pushed into the soil 
at an angle of about 60° with the surface of the ground. This 
method is not recommended unless planting material is very difficult 
to obtain and good care can be given to the field after germination 
starts. 
PLANTING WITH ROOT CLUMPS 
A large plant with 50 or more tillers offers a good source of material 
for planting with root-clump divisions. After the top growth has 
been removed the root clump may be dug out and divided into a 
large number of pieces, each of which may be planted separately. 
If this system of planting is used, rows should be spaced about 4 to 6 
feet apart and root divisions planted in hills about 2 feet apart in the 
row. There is usually very little difference in yields obtained by 
either the root- or stem-cutting methods. 
CULTIVATION AND IRRIGATION 
New plantings of Napier grass should be cultivated at frequent 
intervals until the grass has become well established. If the field is 
kept free from weeds until the Napier grass gets a good start, little 
trouble will be had, for this crop competes very successfully with the 
most persistent types, including Japanese nutgrass (Cy perns rotundus). 
While the Napier grass does not kill the nutgrass it seems to be affected 
but little by the latter. Cultivation between the rows at intervals 
throughout the year after the grass is cut has been found to be good 
practice. The root system tends to become heavy and a more or 
less sod-bound condition results. At intervals of 6 months or a year 
a good plowing or subsoiling treatment between the rows would 
doubtless produce very favorable results. In pastures the cultivation 
treatments are usually limited to the earlier stages in the establish- 
ment of the stand of grass with possibly an occasional subsoiling or 
46026°— 34 2 
