CALIFORNIA PRARIE GRASS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 213, 13 January 1865, Page 3

CALIFORNIA PRARIE GRASS.

(From Hood's Monthly Manual, October 1.) This is one of the most valuable of all the descriptions of fodder used for horses or cattle. It has recently been introduced into France and Eng land, from America, with great success, and has been successfully tried in tills country (Victoria). The present tenant of the Government Experimental Farm, in his report, read at the annual meeting of the Board of Agriculture, on Tuesday, the 16th August last, makes especial mention of it, as tried under his observation at the farm. He says: “ After the grasses had all been mown, whenever horses or cattle were turned into the field they invariably fed upon the st,rip of prarie grass in preference to any of the rest, grazing it close down to the ground. The dairy cows increased in their milk at the rate of a quart a day each when feeding in this field lately, by grazing almost exclusively ou the prarie gras#, and they fell off just as much on being turned out of it three weeks ago, although they were put into fields where there is good rough pasture. I have also fed my plough horses on the hay of this grass, after the seed has been threshed out of it, until lately, when it was finished, and they evinced a decided preference for it over any other description of fodder I have on the place. Indeed I am firmly of opinion that it will prove one of our best forage and pasture grasses, especially in rich low lying ground, and for horses and cattle.” In addition to this testimony, we have also the more copious evidence of a higher authority, viz., that of M. Alphonse Lavallee, given in a paper read before the Imperial and Central Society of Agriculture of France, at their sitting on the sth February last, and noticed very fully in the Mark Lane Express. From this source we learn what corroborates the experience had of the plant at our own Experimental Farm, viz., that it is a superior summer grass, which yields a large increase in the quantity, and a great improvement in the quality of the milk and butter of the cows fed upon it. It is known botanically as the Brans Schroderi—in French, Schrader Brome. M. Lavallee describes it as a perennial grass of extraordinary powers of production, yielding four or five different mowings crops, or cuttings in each season, begining with early spring, and ending late in the autumn. M. Lavallee’s experiments extended over a period of six years, and during that time it maintained its healthy condition, and its great productive powers remained undiminished. He says that whether in its green state, or dry, it has proved an equally superior kind of feed to cattle of all sorts, but especially for milch cows, whose flesh and butter Improves wonderfully when fed upon it. It will grow well even upon inferior soil and without manure, but of course upon well manured rich soil, the yield will be correspondingly greater. Too exposed and upland country, however, especially in a very dry summer, is to be avoided. On infe-

rior ground, and in a dry season, when all other grasses failed, M. Lavallee got from the first cutting of the prarie grass 2 J tons of hay per acre. And altogether the yield of tho whole season, grass, and hay together, amounted to 14J tone per acre. Ho tried it against lucerne in food for milch-cows, and with the most satisfactory results in favour of the prairie grass. A certain number of cows were fed on lucerne during several days; their milk was accurately measured, and the per centage of cream ascertained; and it was found there was no variation in quantity or quality all the time. The same cows were then supplied with prairie grass for a given period, and an increase of ten per cent, in quality in their milk was the immediate remit. This increase continued unchanged during the whole time of this part of tho experiment, viz., a fortnight. The same cows wore, at the end of that period, again fed upon lucerne. Tho weight of fodder in each case was precisely the same. The superior quality of the milk also, when the prairie grass formed the cows’ food, was evinced by the better flavour, great firmness, denser consistence and superior keeping qualities of the butter obtained from it. The growth of the broma grass is rapid. It at first forms separate tufts, which gradually spread out and unite each other, forming a dense sward which leaves n# room for any other plant to grow upon the same soil : in fact, it “ crowds out” every other growing thing, whether weeds or otherwise, from the soil that it occupies. It lasts from six to eight years, and is not an exhaustive crop. And when the ground upon which it has been grown is broken up for other corps, its roots and turfs, when ploughed, in supplv a largo quantity of good manure. There is a bastard grass df the same kind, but very imerior to it, as being only an annual, of which farmers must be on their guard. Tho botanical name of the latter is the Cerato hloa Australis. This has found its wav from Germany into both France and England. But it is, we believe, unknown in this country. It has a strong resemblance to the j;o -ennial Crome, or Prairie Grass; but it perishes the first winter, whereas tho genuine plant, as we have already mentioned, lasts some six or eight years. This is a most valuable product for the Dairy Farmer in Victoria. But its excellence cannot be made known too extensively to all classes of agriculturists—whether engaged in dairying pursuits or not. It is especially the fodder for a dry warm country like Victoria.