PAMPAS GRASS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 5

PAMPAS GRASS

fodder for the winter

HAURAKI PLAINS TESTS

" That pampas grass is readily eaten ty stock is well known to farmers, and landscape gardeners know it will grow freely on almost any class of land," said Mr. R- B. Cranyrell, of Hamilton, whose {arm borders on the Rukuhia Swamp, when referring to an article published by Mr. B. 0. Aston in the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture. Mr. Aston quoted the experience of Mr. A. McCleau, of Waitakaruru, who had had success with pampas grass as winter fodder. " Forty years ago I saw this same variety being put through the chaffcutter and used as supplementary feed for horses when ordinary oaten chaff was not available,'\said Mr. Cranwell. " The interesting experiment carried out by Mr. McClean, of Waitakaruru, seems to me to indicate that pampas grass, as grown on the Hauraki Plains, must be given a prominent position as a winter feed for dairy cows. At certain times of the year cattle will eat or try out all forts of rough herbage; even sticks and bones are often chewed, though the latter is usually a sign of somo mineral deficiency in the diet which the animal is endeavouring to supply. Nothing seems to come amiss to cattle feeding off turnips. They must have some sort of roughage to help them through cud-chewing, the turnip alone being of too pulpy a nature to supply the resistance necessary in this slow masticatory performance. Outstanding Merit

ff That the cows on Mr. McClean's farm, ■while not influenced by any of the foregoing conditions, should prefer the apparently rough pampas grass to either hay or ensilage would suggest that there must be something of outstanding merit — from the cow's point of view, at least— In this pampas grass diet. Die experiment so far, has been carried on during four winters, and the results have been Ibe same—2oo head of stock on 200 acres have come through in first-class condition, with a very minimum of labour. That item, in fact, seems not to warrant the term, when we think of the heavy labour involved in first making hay or ensilage and then again the constant work involved in the daily feed-out, as against the cattle helping themselves. " Any rough corner or gulley, fenced off, would serve the purpose of a trial area—in well-ordered, sub-divided grasslands, perhaps the corners that the harrows cannot reach would be convenient places—and even if the pampas was found 'not wanted' it would still provide shelter from the cold winds. " The feed is palatable, or can be made so by the use of suitable fertilisers, grows abundantly and rapidly, and is not affected by frost. The analysis shows it to have a higher food value .than green maize, and it is apparently jeadily digested. Settling Peat Areas

" The growing of pampas might well provide a solution to the problem of economically bringing in the deep peat Bwamps around Hamilton; not as a sole and all-sufficient supply of stock food, but as the means of providing a quick and sustaining growth which will keep the stock going while the swamp is consolidating for ordinary farming conditions. Pampas has been growing; luxuriantly •within a few chains of the big Rukuhia Bwamp, at the northern end, and, as at Waitakaruru, within a few feet of water level; but the difference in the natural fertility of the two swamps would have a tremendous bearing on the food value of the growth produced. Doubtless the quality of the Rukuhia pampas could be made equally nutritious by the judicious use of suitable fertilisers.

FURTHER INVESTIGATION NEEDED

VIEWS OF DR. ANNETT

The opinion tliat the uses of pampas jjrass as winter fodder for cattle should fee further investigated before recommending its widespread use or otherwise, was expressed by Dr. H. E. Annett, of Matangi. " It seems that excellent results have been obtained on the Hauraki Plains," said Dr. Annett. "I trust, however, that we shall not have an epidemic o£ pampas grass planting without a much fuller investigation. . " That toe-toe is eaten by stock is a fairly common experience. On Mr. J. M. Ranstead's' farm at Matangi, a hedge of toe-toe was destroyed by stock getting at it. Cattle, however, may be on the very best pasture, but will nevertheless try hard at times to get their heads through a fence to eat coarse rubbish. "It would be interesting to know whether, if animals were given a choice, they would eat pampas grass for preference under all conditions. Local conditions on the Hauraki Plains might tend to make pampas grass particularly nutr - tn'ous. Elsewhere, however, the cocp ence might be different. " In India cattle often eat small pieces of stick because they cannot get) anything else ,at certain seasons of the year. 1 here are few things, indeed, which cattle will riot eat if they can get at them. So mite , however, turns on the digestibi i ) fodder. German work has shown that if a cow eats more than 9£lb. o in g tible fibre in a day, even though the rest of the food is highly nutritious, she will suffer in her production and condlt i°": On the face of it, one would expect, undei certain conditions as least, pampas „ <• ■ and toe-toe would contain a large arnoii of indigestible matter; a number o, p an . when evermatured and hairy, may giv rise to hair-balls in the stomach, l iej • herd's purse and chickweed. both com ir. our pastures, have been known to cans, trouble in animals owing to their indiges-, tible nature. , , ... „„ A " Before recommending the wide-spiead use of such a plant as toe-toe for fodder, further investigation is needed. In rega <0 the use of pampas, grass as a winter fodder, it, must, nevertheless, be remembered that it is necessary to make hay or pnsilage to keep paddocks in order. V <vant further information about the digestive properties of pampas. If it is °J s "' fo be of general use. we should certainly t r y, and isolate the best strains.