ON THE CULTIVATION OF ENGLISH GRASSES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 25, 28 June 1851, Page 7

ON THE CULTIVATION OF ENGLISH GRASSES.

The following letter, which appeared in the columns of the Nelson Examiner of the 3rd May, embodies the experience of one practised in colonial agriculture, and that upon a subject of the greatest importance to the success of any colony.

Sic, —Having paid coiisi(leraT>le attention to ,'h<\ cultivation of English Grasses in this settlement, and thereby gained some little experience as to their comparative value for pasturage, I have felt desirous to impart what information I can on the subject to those who may intend to lay down portions of their land for permanent grazing purposes. In offering these few details to the public, I wish to guard against an assumption on my part that I am offering any thing new in agricultural expe- ■ hnce, or that they are gained wholly from my j''"Ajn practice or observation. On the contrary, they may more properly be called a combination of results gathered from the best practical experience in England, tested and modified by a few years only of actual observation and practice here—scarcely sufficient to ground any absolute facts upon them. As however many

of our settlers who have become farmers have probably entered upon an occupation new to them, and from other causes may not have had the opportunity of acquiring the requisite knowledge of the proportions and sorts of grass most suitable for permanent pasture on various soils, the few hints I may offer may not altogether be useless to them, although to the experienced farmer they would probably savour of presumption. I have this year succeeded in securing a considerable quantity of the seeds of some of the most valuable grass seeds that are found in the best English pastures ; and by the expenditure of much care and trouble on the part of my foreman (Mr. Pattie), the various kinds have been preserved perfectly genuine, and entirely free from all obnoxious seeds of weeds, such as sorrel, dock, &c. By an advertisement in this paper, it will be seen that these seeds are offered for sale by Messrs. A. Fell and Co.; these gentlemen being instructed to sell them at or ahout the prices they are charged in England at the establishments of respectable seedsmen : and it is principally with the view of assisting purchasers and others about to form permanent pasture, as regards the selection of the most desirable kinds for different soils, that these few observations have been strung together.

It is a well-known fact, that all the best natural pastures —that is, those that afford the greatest amount of fattening properties in a given space—consist of a combination of a great many different sorts of grass in greater or lesser proportions, , k and indeed, that no really useful or permanent pasture can be artificially formed without sowing in the first instance a certain number of these; and even then it takes some years before it will acquire the close and dense sward of an old natural pasture. This is, I believe, laid down as a general rule; but there may be exceptions, and it is possible that at the Wairau Downs and elsewhere, the sward, which is reported to be frequently sufficiently dense, may not consist of any great variety of kinds ; but of this I am not sufficiently conversant to hazard an opinion. I have however noticed the fact, which probably is obvious to most, that the natural pastures of this country are mostly parched up during the dry season of summer—which would lead one partly to infer that there is not any great successional variety of kinds to shelter the sward when the early sorts are withered—whereas I have noticed that pastures formed artificially of a variety of grasses are not so burnt up, even during the driest summers, owing to there being early, medium, and late sorts combined amongst them to succeed each other.

Admitting, then, the fact, that the combination of a certain number of kinds of grasses is essential to form a good pasture of a permanent kind (for in all my remarks I refer only to permanent pastures), it remains to be shown the sorts and proportions suited for the purpose in different soils, confining myself more specially to the two comparative extremes —that is, rich, deep, and moist lands, and those of a more light and sandy nature —leaving the intermediate kinds to be treated according to circumstances and local experience.

For the former, my own experience is less than for soils of a medium or move sandy character; but I believe I may venture to suggest the following arrangements, per acre, for good average soils, such as the best part of the Waimea plain, or Motueka wood; the proportion being given in lbs., as most deducible in practice :—•

Rough Stalk Meadow Grass . .2 Wood Meadow .... 2 Crested Dogstail . . . .1 Hard Fescue .... 1 Golden Oat ..... I Sweet Scented Vernal k Broad leaf creeping Bent, or Fiorin . 1 Smooth Meadow . . , . 1 Cock's Foot 2 Meadow Foxtail . . 2 Meadow Catstail, or Timothy Grass . 2 Perennial Rye Grass ... 4 Meadow Fescue . . . .2 White or Dutch Clover . . ■ . 2 Perennial Red Clover, or Cow Grass . 2 The whole being1 fifteen lands, weighing altogether 25* lbs., or about one bushel and three quarters, which is as small a quantity as should be sown without a crop to form speedily a tolerably good paddock. The practice of sowing a grain crop with the grasses is by no means desirable for permanent pastures, although it is often adopted.

For soils of a medium, or light sandy description, I have myself adopted a combination, per acre, something similar to the following, which may however be somewhat modified according- to local circumstances:— lbs. Crested Dogstail .... 2 t Hard Fescue 1£ Golden Oat 2 Sweet Scented Vernal . . |- Broad leaf creeping bent, or Florin 2 Smooth Meadow . . . 3 Cock's Foot . . . . 3 Meadow Foxtail . . . . lg Meadow Catstail, or Timothy Grass 1 Perennial Rye Grass ... 9 Meadow Fescue . . . • l£ White or Dutch Clover . . 2? The whole containing twelve sorts, weight 291b5., being rather more than two and a half bushels by measure. By following out these arrangements and proportions, or something nearly approaching to them, persons will, there is little doubt, ge"nerally succeed in ultimately getting- good pastures, equal, or nearly so, to the meadows which, impart such a pleasing verdant character to the soil of Britain in the eyes of most foreigners who visit its shores. But after all it will be a work of time, and proper care must be taken that the lands so laid down are well stocked, and not too often mown for hay. It is desirable, also, that as large a quantity of seed per acre should be sown as the circumstances of the parties will permit, as by this means a thick sward will sooner he formed, and there will be less room for weeds to spring- up and take the place of the grasses. The month of March is, I believe, the best period for sowing the seeds ; but in this genial climate it may be advantageously performed during the greater part of the year, excepting only the dry summer months—say December, January, and February. The ground ought to be well prepared, and rendered as smooth and fine as possible. The seed should then be sown as evenly as possible in two castings—the coarse and lightseeds by themselves first, and afterwards the fine and heavy seeds ; after which the ground should be lightly but regularly harrowed, and, where practicable, rolled. These will probably be thought by many to be over-troublesome details, but experience has shown that tliey are more or less necessary in order to insure success. I have no doubt that a selection of some of the native grasses, sown in addition to those recommended, would prove of benefit to permanent jmstures, more especially as cattle, sheep, and horses, are very partial to them —the combination may also lessen their tendency to become so withered in the summer season. Every one has no doubt noticed the luxuriance and rapidity with which White or Dutch Clover spreads over almost every description of soil in this country, even where little or no means have been used to produce such a result. This progress should be promoted in every way by scattering seeds about the waste lands, as it is a grass greatly relished by all kinds of stock, and I have little doubt will be the main agent at work in ultimately covering the surface of the hills, and in the course of time supplanting the fern and other unprofitable herbage of the present superabundant wilds.

There are other points of interest respecting the cultivation of grasses, which might be advantageously brought before the public, but I i'eel that I have on this occasion sufficiently trespassed upon your columns. At a future time I may be induced to add a few more details on the habits of grasses, and other matters connected with the subject, founded on more deiined and positive experience gained in this country, which no doubt may often be influenced by different onuses and'eftects, coinparai tively with the countries of the other hemisphere, and lying in a different latitude. Trusting that the i'ew remarks I have made may not be entirely useless in the grand scheme we should all have in view, that of promoting the ultimate redemption of the wilderness of New Zealand, and imparting to it the hue and usefulness of the verdant slopes and smiling valleys of our own native land, and trusting also that any critic of more experience and science than myself will overlook any imperfections or errors in my observations, and devote his superior knowledge to the same cause, I begto subscribe myself, Your obedient servant, Samuel Stephens. Knowle Wood, Biwaka, April 19, 1851.