“SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Suggestions for the Improvement of 
Native and Dairying Pastures. 
By E. BREAKWELL, B.A., B.Sc. 
At the present time fully two-thirds of Australia’s wealth is obtained 
from the agricultural, pastoral, dairying, and allied industries. It 
seems practically assured that for many years, at least, this continent, by 
virtue of its excellent climatic and soil conditions, and large areas of 
tillable land hitherto undeveloped, must be essentially, the rapid develop- 
ment of secondary industries notwithstanding, a primary producing 
nation. The Prime Minister’s slogan ‘“ Produce more” must therefore 
be made to apply to the primary, as well as to. the manufacturing 
industries. 
At the present time neither the pastoral nor the dairying industry 
is producing to its full capacity. It is the object of this article to show 
how production is being restricted, and to offer suggestions by which an 
increase can be obtained. 
Australia has had a most valuable asset in her native grasses. These 
may be broadly divided into two classes, viz., those on the coast and 
those on the inner side of the mountainous escarpment facing the coast. 
The coastal native grasses have provided in the past, and still are pro- 
viding in some localities, a large amount of the rich dairying pastures. 
Some examples are—Couch or Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), 
Water Couch (Paspalum distichum), the Love grasses (Wragrostis 
species), and the Danthonia grasses (Wallaby or White Top species) 
In the early days, when the population was small and the dairying 
allotments large, these native. grasses sufficed. for the well-being of the 
dairying herd, maintaining a beast, say, to 3 acres. But under closer 
settlement and more intense cultivation, grasses which would haye a 
greater carrying capacity, as much as one beast per acre on alluvial 
soil were eagerly sought after. In this manner there were introduced 
from Europe grasses like Cocksfoot, Timothy, and Rye, which are 
so common at the present time in Tasmania, Victoria, and, to a less 
extent, in New South Wales. These, however, were not considered in 
New South Wales all that was desirable, and a distinct fillip was given 
to the dairying industry by the advent of such quick-growing grasses 
as Paspalum dilatatum and Rhodes grass, and at the present time there 
ony perhaps, larger areas of these grasses than of any others in dairying 
istricts. “Sr ee 
Other grasses like Sudan grass, Elephant grass, and Phalaris bulbosa 
have now proved themselves to be of incalculable benefit’ under such 
conditions, and there appears no special reason why still better grasses 
’ than Paspalum, Rhodes, and others mentioned should not be discovered 
in the future by careful trial and investigation. 
Lele) 
