10 
framed. set hung in your meeting place 
would form reference material which 
doubtless would be of great use. The 
principal would be glad for you to consider 
that the College will act at all times in 
the capacity of Consulting Plant Doctor. 
Bureaus for Weed and Seed matters 
would be an interesting and important de- 
parture from the old lines of work in such 
societies as yours. You would be in- 
the greatest value to members as indivi- 
duals and to the district in naa they are 
located. 
Ovr Worst Locat WrepDs.: : 
During the lecture members were asked 
to fill in circulars handed round with the 
names of the six weeds in their district, 
with the following result, plants being 
named in the order of importance they ob- 
tained in the voting. . No. 17 is at pre- 
sent unknown to us. No. 18 must have 
been evidently named as a pest of the 
augurating new work that would prove of 
State—not being found here. 
N.s.W. Agricultural Gazette. 
BAD WEEDS. 
Latin Name. 
. Xanthium spinosum 
Common Nasr. 
i Bathurst Burr © 
‘ 
2 Nut Grass, Pig Nut . Cyperus rotundus 
3 Thistles 
species 
4 Docks B ) 
5 Sorrel . Rumex acetosella 
6 Balm Stageer Weed . Stachys arvensis 
Z Sauey Boh, Thorney Dock 
Chinesa Burr... 
8 Wild Carrot Be 
9 Blue Top, Mother Gun- 
ther, Cobbler’s Pegs 
20 Johnson grass... 
41 Cats’ heads on 
12 Paddy lucerne ... 
13 Dandelion 
Centaura calatropa 
- Senebiera didyma _ 
Verbena borariensis 
S Sorghum halepense 
... Emex Australis 
. Sida retusa 
14. Sweet briar . Rosa rubiginosa 
45 Blackthorn 
16 Dodder 
i7 Oiltree ... i 
18 Water Hyacinth ... ... Pontederia 
PASPALUM DILATATUM. 
H. W. Porrs. 
The season this year has been especially 
favorable to the growth of this grass. So 
dense and prolific are they at this College 
that we have thought it well to illustrate 
three of the plots at different ages. 
_ Plot No. | is near the piggery, and was 
planted the first week of September this 
year, and hence is only three months old. 
This crop is being cut for the pigs. They, 
especially the boars, eat it with great 
xelish, and in it we find one of the most 
miseful adjuncts to sty feeding we possess. 
It is cut fresh every day and thrown into 
the sties. 
Plot No. 2 was planted in poor sandy 
joam in August, 1902, so that this plot is 
only sixteen months old. The growth 
here all through last summer's dr ought was 
_vigorous, and a heavy crop of rich succulent 
feed was available in mid-summer. | 
_ Plot No. 3 has been planted two and a- 
halt years, and throughout the two years’ 
drought give us ample evidence of its 
drought-resisting qualifications. This sea- 
son, when it reached the average height of 
5 ft. 6 in., it was cut for hay, Spree gave a 
return of 18 tons 2 ewt. 1 qr. and 8 lb. per 
acre greenstuff, equal to 6 tons of hay per. 
acre. 
... Bursaria spinosa 
. Cuscuta epithymun 
? 
. 
. Carduus, &e , (several ~ 
as ... Rumex, (several species) 
. Hypocharis (two species) 
The nutritive food value of Pas- ~ 
' Remarks Maps. 3 
Burrs depreciate wool. Good for nothing. 
Hard to exterminate. Injurious to 
grazing paddocks. <A great nuisance in 
horses’ tails and manes. 
Bad in cultivated land. A great plant food 
robber. Impossible to exterminate it. 
Will grow through and spoil potatoes. 
Useless. _ Spreads rapidly. In time takes 
complete charge of well grassed land. 
Will slightly taint milk. Almost unkill- 
able. Hard to deal with if allowed time 
before working through them. Useless 
for stock. 
Difficult to eradicate. Useless. Very per- 
sistent and rapid in growth. Chokes 
crops. 
Useless. Dangerous to atock eating it. 
Causes weakness in working horses. 
Absolutely useless. Very bad weed. Spoils 
hay. 
Milk ieanter of the worst kind. 
Strong grower. Smothers all 
Useless for fodder. 
Injures crops. Difficult to eradicate. 
Very bad weed. Stock will not touch it. 
Although stock will oat tops, is a bad weed. 
in grass land. 
Said to produce stringhalt 
Smothers grasses. 
Mosopolises grass land. Diffinult to get 
rid of. 
Monopolises grass land. 
A lucerne destroyer. 
Poisorous to stock, © 
Impedes navigation. 
grasses. 
in horses. 
Plot 1.-Paspalum at H.A. College. 
__THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
Feb. 1, 1904 
ae dilatatum-is very high. Its suc- 
culence and palatability is unquestioned 
for any kind of stock, particularly horses, 
cattle, and pigs. Its richest growth is in. 
early summer, and its succulence and. 
greenness prevails throughout the summer. 
It will stand heavy stacking in summer,. 
and provides green food when the majority 
of other grasses are dry, colorless, parched,. 
and innutritious. In addition, whilst ib. 
displays a partiality for rich moist soils, 
our experience goes to prove that it will 
provide excellent fodder of great quantity” 
‘on poor soils in dry areas. This season 
“will bring into prominence the necessity 
for making provisions against fires in the 
paddocks. The luxuriance of growth in. 
all directions points to great dangers dur- 
ing the warm weather. Fire-breaks will 
have to be made, all entailing expense. 
This brings to mind the great possibili-- 
ties existing in the growth of Paspalum 
dilatatum to act as natural fire-breaks. In- 
stead of ploughing long strips of land year 
after year, why not plough and at the same 
time plant Paspalum? It is always green 
enough in summer to resist fire, and thus. 
we secure the dual advantage of a summer 
grass and a fire-break. This idea was dis- 
cussed in this “Gazette” by Mr. C. Robin- 
son, and in Victoria two years ago, and the 
Railway Commissioners of that State are- 
carrying out a series of tests along several 
railway lines to test the value of the grass. 
in this direction: 
ORCHARD NOTES 
W. J. ALLEN. 
Whether or not it would ever be possible - 
to give to each grower just what he con-. 
siders the correct quantity of rain to suit 
the requirements of his individual case is a- 
conundrum which no person in the flesh_ 
REL To alt tae nged Ae ah en PR 
b . 
