GRASS FOR LAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1889, Page 3

GRASS FOR LAND.

Th& following letter from the Tasmanian on Nov. i'th may be of use to those on the lookout for sandbinding plants : — Sir, — I am much interested in reading in your agri- « Qultural notes of this day's issue the t remarks on the marram grass. On , a portion of the Norfolk coast, in " the Old Country, "which I knew intimately for many years, the coastline consisted of sandhills of 20ft to 85ft in height. In some places complete sand-drifts were formed by winds from N. E. to E. S. E., tapering in height from the crest of the hills, and running far inland. But where the marram grass clothed L the sand slopes I have seen excellent barley and other cereal crops grown withia a few feet of the base of the sandhills. The varying " set" of the tide on that coast occasionally exposes an? almost ver- % tical section of the sandhills, in which may be traced the fibrons roots of the marram grass penetrating fully 20ft through the saline and arid medium. I attempted, since my settlement here many years ago, to procure some of the seed for the benefit of neighbours, but, through the negligence of correspondents, failed. It would be a great boon, I am certain, to those whose lands suffer from sand-blowing if they could procure either roots (which, are indestructible) or seeds. It spreads quickly on the sand, but will not fncroach on the better soil. Any East Norfolk man will bear me out in this statement of its value. Possibly it might be obtained from Mr 8. Aviary, Port Fairy, N. S. W. — Yours, etc., Claude W. Roberts, B.A.