THE WONDERFUL RHODES GRASS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 866, 16 July 1910, Page 4

THE WONDERFUL RHODES GRASS.

(Chloris Virgata).

[To the Editor.] Sir, —As it may prove of great benefit to stockowners, kindly permit me to give a description of the above. This grass is rapidly coming into great favour throughout Australia, and the favourable reports of its great merits from many places points to its extensive cultivation. It has proved a really wonderful grass for resisting drought, and will grow and remain green when many of the other species are burnt up. The famous paspalum grass has long held a leading place, but to be a success it requires a fairly rich soil, and a warm, moist climate or artificial irrigation. With Rhodes grass it is entirely different, as not only will it thrive well where the rainfall is light and the soil inferior, but will also survive long periods of drought, and yield well where the paspalum might prove a complete failure, or only exist. In the central dairying districts of Queensland and the western portion of New South Wales, where the climate is dry, Rhodes grass is proving equally as great a boon to settlers as paspalum has to those in our moist coastal country ; and without doubt, it will in the course of a very short time, when its great merits become more widely known, prove one of the most beneficial and popular grasses yet introduced, as it can easily be cultivated over such an immense area of land. Probably no other grass will give such good and satisfactory results under adverse or trying conditions of soil and climate, as has already been well demonstrated in many localities. The seed is very light and fine, and germinates readily with a small amount of moisture, and from ylbs to Blbs of seed should be sufficient to sow one acre of laud. After germination, the plant throws out strong, vigorous runners, which root at each joint, after which the the shoots grow r erect to the height of three or four feet. It spreads rapidly, and presents a splendid waving mass of verdure that would delight the eye of the pastoralist. It yields, according to soil and climate, from five to ten tons of the most nutritious fodder, per acre which in feeding value ranks with sorghum, and it is greatly relished by all classes of stock, which prefer it to paspalum. It produces a large quantity of seed which can be harvested easily, and if necessary at any time it can be ploughed out without much trouble. I most strongly recommend the cultivation of this grass to stockowners, especially to those residing in countries subject to long periods of drought, who I fell certain will be greatly pleased with the result.—Yours sincerely, B. Harrison. Burringbor, N.S.W., Aus.