A SHEEP-STATION GLOSSARY

(SrECIALLT WMTTeW »OR THE TRESS.) [By It. G. D. ACLAND.I XIV. Spaniard or Speargrass.—Various species of Aciphylla. Plants with stiff sharp leaves like rapiers growing out thickly in all directions from the ground. They were thickest in the hills; but there were plenty on the plains before they were ploughed. Horses avoid them carefully, which makes riding through them unpleasant. There are stories of men falling off and landing on one. Shepherds use the flower stalks for torches when burning. In the 'eighties and 'nineties at Mount Peel they used to call the broader leaved sort Spaniards and the narrower Speargrass; but most people use both names indiscriminately. (/E.) "There is one beast of a plant they call speargrass, or Spaniard." (F.Y., p. 48.) "Spaniard, which I have mentioned before, is simply detestable; it has a strong smell, half turpentine half celery. It is sometimes called speargrass, and grows to about the size of a molehill, all over the back country everywhere, as thick as mole-hills in a very mole-hilly field at home. Its blossoms which are green, insignificant, and ugly, are attached to a high spike bristling with spikes pointed every way and very acutely; each leaf terminates in a strong spear, and so firm is it, that if you come within its reach, no amount of clothing about the legs will prevent you from feeling its effects. I have had my legs marked all over by it. Horses hate the Spaniard and no wonder. In the back country, when travelling without a track, it is impossible to keep youihorse from yawing about this way and that to dodge it, and if he encounters three or four of them growing together, he will jump over them or do anything rather than walk? through. A kind of white wax, which burns with great brilliancy, exudes from the leaf. There are two ways in which Spaniard may be converted to some little use. The first is in kindling a fire to burn a run: a dead flower-stalk serves as a torch, and you can touch tussock after tussock. .. . lighting them at right angles to the wind. The second is purely prospective; it will be very valuable for planting on the tops of walls to serve instead of broken bottles: not a cat would attempt a wall so defended." (F.Y., p. 75.) Spanish Windlass. —A contrivance for straining wire fences. It was cheap, easy to use, and light to carry; but when wire-strainers were much improved early in this century | it went out of use. At least, I haven't seen one for five and twenty years. <C.)

Squatter.—Runholder, stationowner. This was the general colloquial name, sometimes used loosely for any large landowner. The word is dropping out of use now, being displaced by sheepfarmer, station owner, etc. We never had, in Canterbury, the Australian derivatives squattage and squattocracy. "He the prince of all the squatters, Largest holder of runholders." —(C.R., p. 48.) See also 7E. for an interesting history of the word in Australia. Stag.—lmperfectly, or late castrated male sheep or steer. Hence staggy. (C.) Stand Sam.—Treat; shout somebody a drink. Rare. I am not sure that this is a local word. (C.) Station.—Sometimes sheep s., cattle-s., or dairy-s., (Paul, p. 68); originally the hut, yards, and buildings where a squatter stationed himself to work his run; but now usually the whole property, including the stock and leasehold country. It has been used in both these senses in Australia (whence the word came) since the 'thirties. (lE.)

(1) The original sense is still preserved up country, where the men always speak of in at the s., when they are out on the run; also in the word out-s. (q.v.), which has no other meaning than the house, yards, etc. (2) The secondary sense of a property with freehold, leasehold, buildings, and stock. (3) Any fairly large property, carrying over 2000 or 3000 sheep. (4) Adjective as in s. horse, belonging to the owner, not to one of the men, whose horses are private; s. sheep, not one belonging to a neighbour; s.-bred, not a bought sheep. (5) Since the 'nineties, auctioneers in their have taken to speaking of s. lines of sheep, though 70 per cent, of those so designated at the autumn ewe fairs come from farms or grazing runs, (.ffi.)

• blanket or rug.—Slang. Split sack or woolbale, used to sleep under. (C.) hand.—Man employed on a s. (C.)

house—See Men's hut. manager—See Manager.