588 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dezc., 1899 
careful to grow the variety to suit the market, for of all grains rice is most 
subject to prejudice and favouritism. It is the grain that in the largest 
quantities comes into the hands of the consumer in the form that is most nearly 
allied to the original state, and so is dependent upon the fancies of the consumer 
for the variety that shall command the highest price. From the figures of the 
Registrar-General, Queensland at present produces 14 per cent. of its annual 
consumption, the statisties being—Production (estimated at the rate of 162 Ib. 
of paddy to the 100 lb. of clean rice), 1,318,176 Ib. of clean rice; and the 
imports, 8,235,564 Ib., of a value of £49,456. The principal district for rice is 
that of Cairns, which produced 82 per cent. of the total yield, 708 acres being 
cropped for 33,540 bushels, or an average of 47°30 bushels to the acre. 
Science. 
GUINEA-GRASS. 
Mr. A. A. Ramsay, F.C.S., Sugar Chemist to the Department of Agriculture, 
and superintendent of the Sugar Experiment Station, Mackay, has kindly 
furnished the following analysis lately made by him of Guinea-grass. He 
says i— 
¥ Guinea-grass has been grown for some time now at the sugar experiment 
station, for feed purposes and also for seed. 
Tn July we had a number of stools of over-mature grass, which the stock 
would not eat, while they seemed very fond of the young leaves shooting from 
stools cut previously. I was led, by this, to make analyses of the two samples 
with the following result :— 
Over-ripe Grass. Young Shoots. 
Moisture un HY) 70°92 ar 69:08 
Soluble albumenoids ... ‘88 te, ‘86 
Insoluble albumenoids... ‘66 ya 2:20 
Digestible fibre... bs 1:94: oe 2:25 
Woody fibre... Bee 20°11 ia 13°92 
Soluble ash... a 1:07 te 1:02 
Insoluble ash ... 0 2:29 ie 3°55 
Cholorphyl amides, &c. 2:13 tes 712 
100°00 100-00 
Total nitrogen xt “40 - 71. 
Total albumenoid nitrogen 25 ne 49 
Albumenoid ratio Pee ha 403 oo 1:53 
I would state that these analyses are of the few stools of grass that were 
growing here, and available for my purpose, and no special cultivation or 
-attention has been given them. i 
~The grass was planted in rows 3 feet 6 inches apart and 4 feet between the 
stools. The average weight of the stools analysed (of over-ripe grass) was 
nearly 8 Ib. { 
From figures published under the authority of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England, I give, for purpose of comparison, the total nitrogen in 
average grass, meadow hay, and clover hay (these latter are calculated to 70 per 
cent. water for easier comparison). These are :— . 
Grass oo ox ix: oe) 
Meadow hay... 44) 5x) 
Cloverhay ... ox 
STOUR 
