108 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
The family of gramina occupies an important place in 
scientific botany, ami strongly merits the attention of the 
agricultural, and especially the stock-owning interests of 
this colony. Some of our most valued cereals pertain to I 
the gramina: and a majority constitute the chief bulk of | 
that food, which is eaten by our sheep and cattle —those 
living laboratories which convert grass into flesh and fat, | 
forming nearly one half of the alimentary provision con- i 
sumed by mankind in these colonies. 
Until the present century, very little regard was paid to i 
the qualities of these various grasses. They grew di<re- | 
garded, as nature produced them. The relative qualities 
of nutritive aliment, the periods of duration, the fitness 
of some for hay, und of others for pasture, and their 
several tendencies to grow vigotously in rich or poor soils, 
or in sands or gravel, in clays or in loatns, in dry or moist 
situations, were scarcely noticed. Ilut the experiments of 
George Sinclair, chief gardener to the memorable and 
good John, Duke of Bedford, and under the direction of 
England’s greatest chemist, the illustrious Humphrey Davy, 
powerfully drew the attention of agriculturists to the real 
value or those hitherto neglected grasses. Fields for per¬ 
manent pasture were sown with such seeds as farmers f und 
favouring their soils, and flowering in regular succession 
through at least four months of the spring and summer, 
whereby a constant bite of fresh grasses, in their very 
prime, were presented to sheep or cattle—grasses relished 
by those animals, for whose benefit they were intended ; 
by means of which, graziers were enabled to maintain 
double the number of stock, on a similar area, than ever 
they could effect previously, and could turn off fat in half 
the time formerly required. 
Of the 215 varieties of grasses considered capable of 
being cultivated in Britain only three or four had got into 
use, probably more through accident than judgment 
These were the rye grass tcolium perenne), cock’sfoot, 
■with the red and white clovers The subject is, perhaps, 
novel to Australians, but not less interesting as a useful, 
and, bye and bye, a necessary study. When colonists ac¬ 
quire permanent possession of the soil, then will they begin 
to thiilk in what way their acres can be employed advan¬ 
tageously. After thinking tomes inquiring; Inquiry aud 
experiment lead to right aetlng, or acting a right. 
Of British and other grasses suitable for Australia, may 
be noted—the cynosurus cristatus, or crested dog’s tail. 
Mr Sinclair has written, that the Southdown sheep ap¬ 
peared to be very fond of this grass, its nutritive powers 
rank high, and, contrary to the nature of most other 
grasses, the weight of nutritive matter lost by taking the 
crop at flowering exceeds one sixth of the value. It is, 
therefore, excellent for hay. and favours a loamy soil. It 
ranks high in nutritiv e qualities. Ofthepoa division—the 
angustifolia ranks as the most valuable. In nutrition it 
excels all others. Is early, soft, and succulent. The straw 
contains more nutriment than its leaves, in proportion to 
bulk; but it is said to be liable unto the disease of rust, 
like wheat, occasionally—probably in unfavourable soils or 
fO"gy seasons, for it never came under my observation 
that it was more subject to disease than others. The pna 
fertilU is a native of Germany. These two are singularly 
contrasted, for this flowers late, but the other early. 1 n 
nutrition, the meadow poa stands only a degree lower than 
its "reat ally. Still It produces a great abundance of early 
foliage, and of the best quality, favouring a clay loam- 
The dactylis glomerata, or round headed cock's-foot, 
although a roughUh grass, is yet a favourite with sheep, 
cattle, and horses. It is very productive, and. if cut for 
hav, the aftermath is nearly as abundant as the first crop- 
It "should be cut at flowering, and wW prosper in most 
soils, if loamy. Our objection to most of the fescue va¬ 
riety* is, on account of the lightness of their seeds, which 
will not readily vegetate, unless carefully covered in. 
Amongst these, the festuca loliacea, or spiked fesine, 
greatly resembles rye grass, but far superior, for it im¬ 
proves with age, directly the reverse of the lolium 
perenne, or common rye. 
The sheep’s fesine (festuca ovina) is a great favourite 
with the woolly feeders, notwithstanding it is a dwarfish 
grass, sheep thrive wherever this fesine grows, for its 
foliage Is fine, and its flavour agreeable to mint tastes. 
But the festuca duriuscula, or hard fescue, possesses higher 
qualities in general, and is, in fact, one of the best of the 
fescue species, Boih these prefer dry soils, like the ani¬ 
mals which love them. 
Phleura prateuse, or Timothy grass, the cat’s tail of 
Sinclair, Is admirably adapted for the climate of this 
colony. It is decidedly my own favourite The Timothy 
grass sustains the greatest heats of a Canadian summer, as 
it sends down a strong lap root; and the leaves to seed 
stalks grow as 801. The great nutriti e qualities of this 
grass, the relish horses and cattle seetn to have for It, its 
value either for pasturage, or for hay of the finest quality, 
renders it well worthy of culture by every improving 
Australian. Should it prove slightly couchy, such a na¬ 
tural tendency cannot be objectionable for permanent pas¬ 
ture, and the couchiness is no obstruction to farming 
rotation of cropping, if such a course should be ever 
practised in Australia. Superadded. the seeds are beauti¬ 
fully manageable, notunlike to red clover seeds in size, so 
that a single pound contains a great number. It will suit 
almost any soil. 
II. Lolium perenne Italienne, Italian rye grass, yields 
an early blade aud a much more abundant herbage than 
the common British ryegrass. It also springs up quickly 
after having been eaten down, and the almost evergreen 
appearance renders its value still more Important. Dr. 
Shcrwin, of Mittagong, (or his father or perhaps both) 
long ago managed to raise as much seed of this grass as 
sowed twenty acres. After a lapse of twenty years, the 
superficies presented a decided superiority of verdure over 
the best bush land in the vicinity. (Through favour of 
Mr. P. L. C. Shepherd a small quantity came to hand of 
the parcel presented by Mis Excellency the President. It 
is hoped when any good things are disposing amongst you, 
that a friend will be remembered uho lives o’er the hills 
and far awa\) 
Tiifolium Tcpens, white clover, is admirably adapted for 
many parts of New England and such soils and climes. 
It spreads both by roots and seeds, and extirpates rushes, 
juncus, blady grass, and every other grass in its extended 
progress as can be shown not eighteen miles from this 
station, where the sward is as thick w itli a white clover 
carpeting as in any place of old England. \Y hen the heads 
ripen a saccharine matter forms in the rcceptaculum 
which sheep eagerly devour. It is the writer’s opinion 
that this trefoil will prosper in a damper soil than it re¬ 
quires in Albion, and he dwells longer on this gramen in 
order to combat unfounded prejudices tending to assert 
that none of the trefoils arc suitable for this colony. 
Without farther extending the list, suffice it to say that 
of any recent introduction, the sorghum promises to be¬ 
come of considerable worth as an excellent food for hprses, 
independent of other uses. All horses favour the reedy 
families, and they fatten sooner on these than almost with 
any other kind of food. The sorghum will soon rise in 
estimation as the qualities get known, and owners of horse 
stock will soon find it a fodder superior to most others 
for these invaluable but too often III used, if not abused, 
animals. A new grass was sent to the Scottish Highland 
Society from Falkland Isles, and called the Dactyls eoes- 
pitosa, Tussac grass, but no account has been received re¬ 
garding its merits. The melilotus lewcantha, or bokhara 
clover, was once much cried up, and also trifolium incar- 
natum, a .favourite at Hohenzeim, in Germany, with 
neither of whieh 1 am acquainted, 
Vitium sepiurn, bush vetch, excels all the vetches, 
some of which favour this colony. This vetch spreads 
rapidly, affords much aliment, springs again quickly after 
haring been cut, becomes thick, so retains moisture, and 
prefers a clay loom. For milch cows the vetch has no 
equal, not even cabbages; it is valuable as green food, 
and never impoverishes the soil. 
As a wholesome stomachic for sheep, the Thagodea has- 
tata or salt bush cannot be surpassed. It appears the 
colony possesses more than one kind, as Sir Thomas 
Mitchell, in his Tropical Australia, notices the R, 
parabolics as abounding on the plains of the Interior. It 
is reported to contain l-20th its weight of common salt, 
