1 Mar., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 205 
Forestry. 
/ FIXING SAND DRIFTS. 
In South Africa there are sand drifts which invade cultivated land, and do 
a great amount of mischief, so much so that Mr. D. E. Hutchins, the 
Conservator of Forests in Cape Colony, has given the matter serious attention. 
Writing about a successful experiment at “fixing” the drift sand which he 
witnessed, he says that a Mr. Marais some years ago bought a farm which was 
seriously threatened by a sand drift. After trying all sorts of screens with 
oor success, he decided to try marram grass. Mr. Hutchins tried to dissuade 
im, pointing out that this grass grew near the coast, and even there suffered 
for want of moisture. But Mr. Marais still determined to try it. He 
ot a few roots and found they grew splendidly, so more was planted, and at 
last the drift was partly covered with a growth as high as Pampas grass. 
Mr. Hutchins was then satisfied that the problem of fixing the drift had been 
solyed. Soon it will be all planted, and will represent the best veld on the 
farm. 
It is hoped that other farmers along the Breede River, where these drifts 
are numerous, will follow Mr. Marais’ example. A. sand drift left unfixed is 
always liable to spread and increase, and there is no knowing where it will stop. 
It destroys all vegetation as it advances, and mountains 1,000 feet high are no 
bar to its progress. The first thing to be done when attempting to fix a sand 
drift is to fence. 
A double fence of brushwood or palings is first erected. This stops the 
sand as it is blown along. When the sand is as high as the fence, another 
fence is built on top of it, and another on top of that, till the sand is about 
20 or 30 feet high. Then marram grass is planted on the slopes, and afterwards 
various kinds of pine-trees. 
There are great masses of shifting sand now in Queenston in the far 
interior, which cover the fences so that they may be driven over, and it is said 
that even the settlers’ houses are invaded by it. When the scorching heat 
lately experienced has quite passed away, a trial might be made in such 
localities with marram grass. Such sand drifts are useless and dangerous, and 
there is only one purpose they can be used for—forestry and to grow timber 
on them, they must first be fixed as above described. 
MARRAM GRASS. 
Mr. A. Molineux, secretary of the Agricultural Bureau of South Australia 
who has just returned from Port Fairy, Victoria, showed a representative of 
the Observer a number of samples of marram grass which had been grown 
at that place and photographs illustrating the benefits derived from its culture. 
The first picture showed a perfectly bare wind-swept hummock of pure sand, 
600 acres of which was being laid with rooted plants 6 feet in the rows and 
2 feet apart. It was stated that this sand had been making most serious 
encroachments on neighbouring country worth from £70 to £80 per acre for 
agronomical purposes. The second picture indicated a complete transformation. 
It was taken three years later, and in it the same mound is shown covered with 
a dense growth of the grass, which will support a cow to the acre, while men 
are engaged pulling up the redundant roots for sale and export to establish 
other plantations. It will therefore be seen that the shifting of the hummocks 
has been completely overcome, and ground which was a nuisance and a menace 
