PASPALUM DILATATUM

Bush Advocate, Volume XVII, Issue 25, 31 January 1905, Page 5

PASPALUM DILATATUM

The following lfttter from a resident of New South Wales recently appeared in the Standard : —

I have received a clipping from your journal re information supplied by Messrs Hodder and Tolley, condemning Paspalum Dilatatum grass. Would you allow me space to give your readers some of my New Zealand "experience. During August and September last I travelled from Whangarei in the North to the Bluff in the South, At Whangarei I saw many areas of paspalum dilatatum looking as well as they could look, aad the people there think it far ahead of their old grasses. Anyone that doubts this can refer to Hunter and Wilson, of Whangarei. In Auckland district paspalum dilatatum looked Al, and I can refer anyone to Mr Geo. Winks, East Tamaki, near Auckland. There is an Australian near Hamilton, in.the Waikato district, who has a big area of it doing splendidly. At Opotiki (Bay of Plenty) I saw several areas doing famously, and the people speak highly ot the grass. I rode across country through the Urewera to Gisborire, and found the grass coming into favour rapidly, but saw none growing, as I had to catch the boat at Gisborne,- only remaining a short time. At Napier (Hawke's Bay) the merchants were finding a demand for good seed, but I did not go into the country. At Wellington there is a steady demand for seed which is growing. My advice to the dairymen and graziers of the North Island is : Give it a good practical trial ; it is not a coarse grass, ii stocked, being very soft and nutritious. Paspalum is the hardiest grass, l know, withstanding both cold and heat better than any other if stocked, but if allowed to go to seed it must be burnt off in the early spring to get an early and rapid spring growth. Paspalum does not grow in Central Australia, at present being entirely confined to the rich fertile coastal districts of New South Wales. The grass did such wonders during the late drought on the coast that the seed is now being eagerly sought by outback landholders for experimental purposes, but will not be a success in extra dry climates unless irrigated, when it would do wonders. To conclude, what I saw of the North Island of New Zealand, I can conscientously say I believe paspalum dilatatum grass is going' to play a big part in the future development of the Island. Wherever I saw the grass growing bore out this belief.

The seed of this grass may be obtained locally from Mr W. Hose, auctioneer, or the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.