MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
31 
fixing its roots at every joint firmly into the soil, on 
which it holds with great tenacity. 
To the agriculturist this plant is troublesome—re¬ 
quiring the careful use of the harrow to keep it under ; 
with this single exception I believe it to be the most 
valuable grass produced in this colony, and as it be¬ 
comes more oxtended, will relieve the stockholder from 
those great losses now sustained during seasons of 
drought. Captain irright informed me that the Hin¬ 
doos during seasons of drought, in India, dig up the 
roots, wash them, and supply their horses with them. 
It appears from “ Sinclear,” to have been introduced 
to the notice of the Duke of Bedford by the Marquis of 
Hastings, who supplied him with seeds for his experi¬ 
mental garden at Woburn. 
From the testimony of Sir William Jones “ every 
law book, and almost every poem in sanscript contains 
frequent allusions to tho holiness of this plant.” Iutlie 
fourth beda is the following address to it: 
u Thee, 0 Darbha! the learned proclaim a Divinity, 
not subject to age or death ; Thee they call the armour 
of India—the preserver of regions—the destroyer of 
enemies—a gem that gives increase to the fields. At 
the time when the ocean resoundc-d : when the clouds 
murmured, and lightnings flushed, then was Darbha 
produced pure as a drop of fine gold.” * 
High as this oriental panegeric appears, when stripped 
of all hyperbole, it is not more than its highly valuable 
properties entitle it to, in hot climates subject to 
droughts from atmospheric aridity. 
lbs. 
Sinclear estimates the produce per aero at 31301 12 0 
Dried ditto „ 14088 15 0 
Nutritive matter 978 6 G 
Tho next grass to which I would invite your Excel¬ 
lency’s attention, is the “ Suffolk Grass,” Poa Annua. 
The introduction of this plant is soon told. Some ma¬ 
chinery, the wheels of which were protected with liay- 
bands bound round them, was received i.y me from 
England, and unpacked in my garden. As the liay- 
bands were untwisted I intentionally shook tlio bay over 
the soil, so that any grass seed it contained might have 
a chance of germinating. This experiment so far suc¬ 
ceeded, that the Suffolk Grass made its appearance. 
This took place about 14 years since, during this period 
the distribution of tho plant has become very consider¬ 
able. I have found it growing vigorously on brush soil, 
two miles from this place. I enclose a specimen. 
Cattle and horses are very fond of this grass, and as 
it thrives well on all soils, and grows luxuriantly daring 
winter, I think it will prove a very valuable addition 
to those now encouraged in tliis colony. 
An opinion has been advanced by an English writer, 
a Air. Hillingflect, as to its being u likely to be the best 
grass for the dairy.” 
The distribution of the Poa Annua is effected in 
precisely the same way as the Doob Grass, through the 
instrumentality of cattle and horses. 
Sinclear estimates its produce, &c., as follows :— 
lbs. 
Produce, per acre - 5445 0 0 
Ditto ditto, Dried - 1905 12 0 
Nutritive Matter, do. 212 11 Of 
Should the foregoing remarks prove of any interest 
to your Excellency, I shall feel much gratified. They 
are much at your Excellency’s service, to make such 
use of them as your Excellency may think fit. 
Begging your Excellency’s indulgence towards my 
imperfections, I have the honor to subscribe myself, 
Your Excellency’s 
Most obedient Servant, 
E. W. RUDDER. 
* Page 292. 
f Page 400. 
NATIVE PLANTS. 
and the Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horticul¬ 
tural Resources op Australia. 
No. I. — Br mi. T. W. Shepherd. 
The subject which I propose to bring under your notice 
this evening is fraught with much interest, and although 
hitherto almost entirely neglected by tho colonists, at 
least as a body, yet is of the utmost importance, as 
tending to tho better developement of the resources of 
the country, and tho move it is examined, the greater 
will its importance appear. It is one also which pre¬ 
eminently demands the attentive consideration of this 
Society, for no subject can be more intimately con¬ 
nected with the objects for whoso advancement it was 
expressly established ; and one, in fact, to which (at 
the opening meeting held in the School of Arts) the 
Society was particularly pledged to give its best atten¬ 
tion, In discoursing on the Native Plants of Australia, 
it will be my endeavour to illustrate, first, the material 
uses to which some are, or may be, applied, either as 
supplying food or clothing for man, fodder for his flocks 
and his herds, timber for his ships, houses, implements, 
and utensils, or chemical and other properties useful iu 
his manufactures. And second, the more refined moral 
and intellectual applicability of others, to add beauty 
and richness to our flower gardens, to add grace and 
grandeur to our parks, plantations and landscapes, and 
to increase our knowledge of the varied and beautiful 
phenomena of tho vegetable world, by tin-owing light 
upon the science of botany, a science which 1 am in¬ 
clined to believe is yet in its infancy, notwithstanding 
tho wonderful progress made within the present cen¬ 
tury, To successfully fulfil such an endeavour, must 
appear a herculean task, and so 1 feel it. It is far 
above the capacity of any one man to master ail this, 
and it is far above my capacity to really master even a 
portion of so vast an enquiry. I therefore enter upon 
it with considerable diffidence, convinced of my utter 
inability to do it the justice it deserves. Feeling this 
diffidence, I am nevertheless impelled to do what I can, 
encouraged by the conviction that however little in¬ 
formation may be given, yet the intention will meet 
with your approval, and the shortcomings with your 
consideration and indulgence; also that by starting 
such an important subject for enquiry and discussion 
other members will be induced to think and to study, 
and give tho result to our society, thus drawing the 
greatest possible amount of ability and research toward 
a subject of more importance to our temporal well- 
being as a nation, than any other that can be thought 
of. Such a number of subjects, all of an interesting 
and instructive nature, have been proposed For discus¬ 
sion this evening, that I have determined to confine my¬ 
self entirely to the introduction of the subject standing 
in my name, reserving for future, and 1 hope numerous 
papers, such ideas and conclusions as I may from timo 
to time arrive at, in considering the capabilities of the 
almost innumerable species of our indigenous grasses 
and herbs, fruits, roots, and timbers. 
In this island continent of ours there are millions of 
square miles of country at present utterly useless either 
to ourselves or to the world at large, this arises in tho 
greatest measure through the insufficient supply or tho 
total absence of water; hut also, to a great extent, 
from a deficiency of food for sheep and cattle where 
water does exist. In some instances the Government 
of this colony estimate the grazing capabilities of J ui) 
square miles'of country bounded by 10 miles of a river 
at 640 head of cattle, or 100 acres for the support of 
one bullock. Astounding as this statement may appear, 
yet it is not made without sufficient grounds. Some 
fulls so estimated are actually occupied, and known to 
me, and I have at the present moment in my possession, 
accepted tenders for about 300 square miles or 192,000 
acres with thirty miles of river frontage, at the un¬ 
usually high annual rent of £30, with £185 premium, 
altogether £225, or the merest fraction over one farth- 
