MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
K)7 
Shepherd, 0. Ottley, and W. Deane, 
Hon. Sec. 
The minutes of the last meeting were 
read and confirmed. 
Paper read from Mr. R. Meston, of New 
England, on the deterioration and neces¬ 
sary renovation of colonial pastures. 
Mr. Joseph Dyer thought, from a remark 
made in one of Mr. T. W. Shepherd’s 
papers read before this society, that the 
supply of stock was decreasing in the 
colony. 
Mr. O. Ottley observed that this was 
caused by the stockholders preventing the 
breeding of cattle; on one or two stations 
he knew, this had been done by spaying 
the heifers, the proprietors being better 
paid by fattening them for market, than By 
incurring the expences attendant on breed¬ 
ing. 
Mr. P. L. C. Shepherd argued, from the 
fact mentioned by Mr. Meston, that boil¬ 
ing down had ceased, that it paid better 
now to continue breeding. 
Mr. O. Ottley thought that, at no dis¬ 
tant day, the proprietors of stock would 
form themselves into two classes, the 
grower and fattener. 
Mr J Dyer mentioned that the price of 
meat was rising throughout the world, and 
that we ought to turn our attention to the 
improvement of our pastures. 
The Secretary laid upon the table Lei- 
big’s Organic Chemistry, and Lindley’s 
Elements of Botany, which had been pre¬ 
sented to the Society by Mr. F. Wilson. 
The Chairman instructed the Secretary to 
write to Mr. Wilson, giving him the thanks 
of the Society for his donation. 
Mr. Dyer asked if any member present 
could give him any information respecting 
the growth of the Spanish chesnut in this 
colony ; in answer to which, Mr. P. L. C. 
Shepherd said that it did not succeed well 
here. 
No ballot being demanded, Mr. Edw. 
Irby became a member. 
The following gentlemen were proposed 
as members—Mr. Ralph T. Gore, Yandilla, 
Drayton, Darling Downs ; Mr. John G. 
Lennon, Colonial Treasury; Mr. George 
E. Evans, Shepherdton; Mr. George Tom¬ 
lins, George-street ; Mr D. Cooper, jun. ; 
Mr. A. C. Prevost, 190, Pitt-street; Mr. 
James Harris, Botany-street, Chippendale ; 
Dr. Aaron; Mr. B. II Roberts, Rosedale, 
Liverpool; Mr. Macintosh, Lane Cove; 
Mr. Geo. Morris, Botany ; Mr. T. W. At¬ 
kinson. Circular Quay ; Mr. Edwd. Hill ; 
Mr. W. Woolls, Parramatta; Dr. Bem- 
castle, Wynyard-square; Mr. G. Thorn¬ 
ton, Cumberland-street; Mr. T. Sinidjnorc, 
Woolloomooloo; Mr. Lambert, George- 
street ; Mr. O. F. Kelly, Legislative 
Council; Mr. W. Bradridge, 35, Stanley- 
street; Mr. F. L. S. Merewether ; Mr. L. 
T. Hughes; Mr. T. Day, Pyrmont; Mr. 
Consett Stephen. 
The following notice of paper was given 
for next month— 
Mr. T. W. Shepherd—Native Plants, 
and the Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horti¬ 
cultural Resources of Australia., No. 7. 
The monthly meeting will be held on 
Tuesday, Nov. 3. 
ON TIIE DETERIORATION AND NECESSARY 
RENOVATION OF COLONIAL PASTURES. 
On all the earliest settled districts or occupied runs, over- 
stocking, like extra population, usually bring* along the 
penalties pertaining. The primitive grasses become extir¬ 
pated, or are eaten out—and crowfoots, mug worts, marsh¬ 
mallows, nettles, with many other useless or deleterious 
weeds usurp the soil. 
Grasses, like every other variety of vegetable life, have 
their periods of infancy, maturity and decay. Some are 
annuals, others biennials, and a few maintain an extended 
existence for four, five, or six years. In Britain, the rye 
grass seldom lasts longer than five years,—the utmost, 
seven. The best Dutch red clovers die out in three years, 
and the white clover (trifnlium rfipetU) unless in favour¬ 
able situations, where it becomes permanent, is seldom 
seen after six years. These must all be renovated But 
who ever dreamed, unless enthusiasts, of renewing pasture 
grasses in Australia. That country, in its virgiu state, 
had produced abundantly so long, that it was blindly ex¬ 
pected Us endurance and vigour would last for ever. 
Each settler squeezed out all he could get, and looked 
sharp for more, without expending one half penny worth, 
if possibly the outlay could be avoided, as a charity return 
for benefits rendered. 
During such moist seasons as the past, seasons of rare 
occurrence in Australia, a scarcity of pastures is no where 
felt. But when dry periods or droughts return, as as¬ 
suredly in their periodic times they will return, the innu- 
tritious weeds, which at present cover so much of our 
colonial superficies, with their flimsy veils, will speedily 
shrivel and waste away. 
Of the native grasses, it will be difficult to express a 
decided opinion on their relative values. Many of their 
seeds are rather unmanageable, ovalated, or bearded, or 
else very light. Still a few lie on your associate's shelves, 
which are worth a fair trial, and will be forwarded by first 
available opportunity to the honorary secretary. 
It can scarcely be doubted that a wide margin for expe¬ 
riment is open to the physiological botanist. The native 
grasses merit a fair trial—to which all Indigenes are equit¬ 
ably entitled, injustice, right, and reason. Amongst the 
grasses which have evanished from various districts, and 
sadly regretted, are the avena pratensis, or meadow oat 
grass; and the hordeum pratense, or meadow barley grass. 
The avena flavesiens is highly esteemed in Britain, but is 
rarely met with in this colony. Mr, Deuehar, of Darling 
Downs, promises to aid in obtaining seeds of the above 
valuable grasses, and it Is expected that other colonists 
will imitate so practicable an example next season. 
On the subject of European grasses, he feels more confi¬ 
dent from considerable experience, when, as a British 
farmer, he studied their aptitudes, both for utility and 
benefit to himself and neighbours. 
