GRASSES AND FORAGEPLANTS BEST ADAPTED TO NEW ZEALAND

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 141, 16 August 1876, Page 3

GRASSES AND FORAGEPLANTS BEST ADAPTED TO NEW ZEALAND

The following is a portion of a paper on this subject, which wa‘s read by Mr R. Wilkinj at a recent meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association:— •

“ Sinccmy first arrival in this Colony eighteen years ago, I, in common wit, Others, have paid great attention to tldi best means of forming good pasture landh and I will now proceed to give you ths result of my observations on the grasseb and forage plants which, in the courses of these years, have come under my notice.

The first grass I will notice is Rye Grass (‘ lolium perenne’), the best known and most commonly cultivated amongst English agricultxirists. Much difference of opinion exists as to the merits of the grass, but I think I am justified by our experience in this Colony in placing it at the top of the list.. There are many Varieties of rye grass, Sinclair stating that in 1828 one collector has succeeded in obtaining sixty, but as this has little to do with the BubjeUt oh hand I will ignore any differehce that may exist, and speak merely of rye grass by its generic term. The experiments of Sinclair went to' prove that in comparison with other grasses rye grass was very inferior in nutritive powers ranking in comparison With cocksfoot," as 5 to 18, with meadow foxtail as 5 to 12, and with meadow figeue at sto 17, No doubt Sinclair Was led to adopt this opinion from the in which he conducted his experiments, which is generally admitted to have been defective, for our experience

in New Zealand has amply proved that no single grass will fatten stock so Quickly as rye grass. It is true that it falls off very much in its fattening properties when its seed has ripened, but this observation, in a greater or less degree, applies to all grasses. As to the permanency of rye grass, it is not easy to judge, for it produces such a large quantity of seed that some is certain to fall upon the ground, and therefore new plants are* continually springing up; Sinclair sets it down as a shortlived plant, seldom lasting longer than six years; but there are many fields in Canterbury where this grass retains dominant possession; of the soil after double the time given by Sinclair. An (objection to rye grass is that it is said to require the same constituent elements as wheat, and that consequently sowing land with it after having yielded one dr more chops of Wheat, gives the land ilo rest. This, to a great extent, may account for the starred looking pastures We Occasionally see on farms where overcropping has been practised, and for Which clover, alone, or at all events a mixture containing a large proportion of blover, Wolild have been more suitable. I think I should also notice the liability of the grass to become ergdtisfid, no doubt from the fact of the ergot spores being prevalent at the time the rye grass seed is in a condition favorable for inoculation or infection. It must be act- 1 rnitted that this is a considerable draw-

back, but so many of onf grasses are

how liable to become ergotisod that it is ill most useless to throw out any of them for this cause., I?he remedy appears to be the management of our pastures in Such a way as to prevent damage to the stock as milch as possible. To sum up I do not think that ally pasture land Should be laid down without a .portion of rye grass boirtg added to the mixture, the Quantity being dependent upon the Various circumstances under which the land is being converted to grass. I will now say a few words about Italian Rye Grass (‘ Lolinm Italicum’), which I consider an invaluable addition to any pasture. In England, it is called an “ introduced grass”—that is, it is not indigenous to Great Britain, and it was not cultivated in England till within a comparatively Vecent period. The seed possesses .strong powers of vitality, and it is amongst the first of any mixture to

fchow above ground. This I consider, a of Very great importance, as we have daily opportunities of noticing how soon weeds take possession of any field Where Seeds which have been sown lie dormant, oi* do ttot vegetate quickly. ‘The growth of this variety is much more rapid than that of the common variety, and it will bear several cuttings during the season. For dairies and other purposes where a regular supply of succulent food is Vequiredjthis grass is unsurpassable and it is in very general use in Great Britain, particularly in Scotland for this purpose. The towtl meadows at Edinburgh, fertilised by sewage water, are sewn entirely with Italian rye grass, and yield eight or nine cuttings during the year. It is not considered a permanent grass, being generally looked upon as a biennial, and at all events it is less durable than the common variety of rye grass, but still for the reasons I hate given I consider that etery mixture should contain a portion of this SeecL Cocksfoot (‘DactyiiS Glomerata’)| 1 tank next in point of utility to rye graSs and I consider it a very valuable grass indeed although my experience is directly opposed to that of Sinclair, who places it far above rye grass in point of fattening properties, as I have already stated. Cocksfoot is another of the introduced grasses, having been brought to England from Virginia, in the United StateSi It is naturally a coarse grass, and as it grows in tussocks it is unsightly on lawns or grounds where appearances are considered and it should never be sown on such places. As a mixture in pasture it is most valuable, as it grows very Vapidly, and being deep-rooted it with-

stands drought better than any other grass. It affords the host pasture when cati'ii close, for ‘■when the stems are allowed to grow, up - they Ik come conn e and woody, and are neglected by stock. The rapid growth of this grass is very observable in a pasture which has been eaten bare and then loft to rest for a little. The patches of cocksfoot may then be noticed from day to day, shooting up far in advance of its fellows, thereby clearly proving that in point of large produce it has greatly the advantage of all othergrasses. It is sometimes called “ orchard grass,” as it is aid to thrive in orchards or other shady places but I cannot recommend it to be sown in any situation where it would have to be regularly mown,;' as its tuftyhabit of growth renders mowing a difficult operation. it is a true permanent grass and consefjucntly it is not likely to be eradicated in any pasture where it has once obtained a footing. This grass is also very subject to .ergot; in fact‘'in that respect ‘there is little to choose between it and rye grass. I have sometimes thought that sheep were less liable to scour on pasture where cocksfoot was the most prevalent grass, but my observations on this point would not warrant me in positively ascribing this quality to cocksfoot. No doubt it it were so it would add considerably to the value of the grass.