GRASSES FOR PERMANENT PASTURES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 54

GRASSES FOR PERMANENT PASTURES

The following paper was read by Mr J. €r. Wilson, of Bulls, before the last Agricultural Conference, held in. - Wellington : I feel considerable in, writing on any subject on agricultural matters to {tn assemblage such as .this is, ocmposed as it is of. men probably marc versed, closer observers, and better able to deal with the subject which it was suggested, I: should 'write a paper on---, namely, grasses. ; When. However, I tell you that Mr W. C. Buchanan told me I “■must,” you will easily.understand that I felt impelled. tp ao ' something. For' any errors and omissions, therefore, he must be - responsible, :• .. The importance of the subject to a eolony that exports, over three million sheep and lambs in their frozen state', and four million pounds! worth of wool, most. of ;. which is grown, upon grass, cannot bje gainsaid, I think, therefore, it is not out of place that our thoughts fopa short space be turned to this important subject. - . f Obviously it. vvould be ‘ very uninterosting were, 1 only to enumerate the different grasses- grown or experimented upon in Zealand, and give, their diderent 'qualities. That, can be found in any text book. Nor would I presume to offer suggestions as to when and how paddocks’ he. laid' down. _ We all ha ve bur' ideas ''upon that sub j e ct, although I . dare say they are not always carried out.

.1 thought it better, therefore, to generalise; and wherever possible I have used .English agmes. .. There "is .another reason why it is very unwise to dogmatise on grasses: everyone ‘knows how variously grasses thrive in different, localities, under different conditions, , and on different soils. '

CB’ ' V ; *•' •-When New-Sea-tan d was parcelled out to ; the pdo-neers, .they found nature (abhorring a. vacuum) had . provided growth of some . kind on almost.‘every inch cf ground. In the South Island the land was covered by native, grasses (the vaiv ious tussac-grasees) on the plains and downs, sometimes .a. forest on the spurs of the mountains. and. lichen on the mountain.,,tops. In .the . North Island more . tropical growth .was found ; Fern, tube,. manukarscrub. toitoi, flax and for; est;n. : T-ou^replace,fhese with grass was the-. work : that, was at once undertaken by the .settlers-- Tn. the forest Hindis they found a sure indication v of the quality a,nd character of the land, in the speoial growths of timber upon it. Tcgrew generally on shingly soil, mateti'onbhe. better , and j;mm on the higher, and white pine and puketea- on the wetter land. Here it is seen again that nature provided: a. growth most suitable to. .the soil.. ..To find out- how to replace h§£ur.e , s . .growth with grasses of the''. most. spltaMe .character on the - different S'pik. is .a ’.ta'sk 'whicli is not ended at the present moment, after fifty years of settlement.

Tq watch nature- laying down a pasture is very; interesting and instructive, iphe is slow ; but sure. If the land is -good the process is a. quick one : on poorer lands neither so quick, nor so successful. On, tho Maiingaraki range of limestone hills, tin the Wairarapa, one of .the; .finest. swards of grass i 3 to he seen, ■ which has beeii entirely laid down by mature. Close to- a road, and in the hands of Maoris, the- bush has been, no • doubt, burnt at different times by travelling natives,- and the seed spread by .horses-.. When. ,1 last saw it, it was one . .ofhhe best pieces of pasture I had ever seep, and;- mostly of rye-grass. On river,.bottom laud, - amongst .Maori settlements Vor-iollp'yuhg j after a sawmill, the grasses -spon;.cover. the land, but on the hills grasses .are not .. generally thrusting . eiioqgh to cope with the stronger-grow-ing fern or other growth, unless assisted by man.- ; The.pasture lands in Great Britain are .said never to have been laid down —at least,, nob within the memory of man — but the fanted pastures are mostly either river-bottoms or lime-stone hills, as in some of the best grazing lands in Ire- . land. I was able to examine some of •these (when on, a recent visit home) but was very much disappointed with their appearance. There was no doubt of. : their- -•fattening capabilities, but the quality —of. the.- .-gra,3ses„ were .. very ... in-, f erior. . i years ago Mr W. Carruthors, lately botanist to the British Museum, and now botanist to the Royal Agricultural: Society of, England, made an examination of -the most famous pastures of: England. iMost. of, them contained very inferior grasses. The best fattening land was said' to be in the vale of the Parrefc, iri Somersetshire; yet here he found (by fencing in a portion and lettine it grow) the largest constituent was thtNorthto squirreltail. Many argued from this that, as it let for over i. 4 all aero it would be useless, or ra-thei injurious, to try and improve it. Mr Carr Others, however; took the opposite view. : Ho said] if it were good, composed of such worthless grass, how much better would it be if the pasture contained foxtail, meadow fescue, and other more valued grasses. ■. At Nether by, on the Nith, near Carlisle, I myself saw on some excellent land many builocks (of that- favourite breed a/b Home, the blue steer, from a cross of polled Angus or Shorthorn, or vie© versa) sleek and fat; yet the pas--ana* far fr.-mai a good one when you

examined it, and contained large quantities of Yorkshire fog. Many of the pastures I saw in Scotland had a very wasty appearance, and wanted renewing badly, being overrun with a grass of the Agrostis species, and winch was uneaten by stock. The Cheviot Hills, which showed a close, thick sward, and. the downs of England, are said to be composed mostly of crested dogtail, but no doubt, unnoticed, there are a good many of the smaller fescues amongst it. At least, the portions I saw had that appearance, although there were no seed stalks to guide one. The Lincolnshire pastures were not by any means g;ood. But .to come to grasses for our own what are the most important qualities which should guide us in our choice of grasses to sow P There are two things which govern the choice: class of soil and climate. The soils may be divided roughly ' into alluvial deposit (whether river-bottom land or drained swamp) limestone hills, clay-loam, yellow clay hills, sandy land. The varieties are much fewer than in Great Britain, where the formations are mostly igneous, volcanic, or recent. The second point, climate-: we have a wide range—from cold to hot.

A grazier considers the grasses best which will, economically and permanently febd the. largest quantity of stock, on a given area. To comply with- these requirements grasses; must either grow a very large quantity of leafage, or else stock must eat the seed-head and stalk. It is obvious that mere abundance of leafage is not enough, else toitoi would be the best grass to grow. I should imagine toi-toi contained a great amount of nourishment in an unpalatable form. (J have known, in the earlier days, horses which were supposed to be iri training for a race to be fed with toi-toi chaff). Again, it would be folly to sow the minute sheep’s fescue on. rich land, where other grasses do so well, and expect it to grow as much feed, even though it is cf a very palatable nature for sheep. Having these two things in our minds —(1) Permanency and suitability to the soil and climate where they, are to be sown ; (2) 'carrying capacity—it might be w-ell to consider a few cf the grasses most generally grown. Taking the larger grasses first : We hod that ryegrass holds quite a place of its own. It is a tremendous seeder, and the seed easily saved. It is therefore cheap. Land can be sown down at a cheaper rate with ryegrass than with any other seeding. Almost on any land it shows a great result the first year. Having shallow roots, and being a gross feeder when grown on rich, bottom land, it grows a great quantity of feed; rapidly recovers from being eaten down; is the first grass that burns up with the summer sun, but the first to respond to the autumn rains. It gees to seed early, and stock do not care for the seed stalks; and in certain localities it is subject to vast and ergot. Given, suitable soil and a moist climate, it is a valuable grass On the majority of lands, however, after a few years it dwindles and almost disappears, but springs into life and vigour again with top-dressing. It is almost universally sown in every mixture of grasses, yet it is doubtful if it is worthy of a place op. two-thirds of the land in. New Zealand. Hr Steblar sums up fairly, I thmii. its agricultural value thus : “At times overestimated, at times depreciated, it is, one of the most valuable grasses. It is.more a bottom than a top gi’ass. For pastures on heavy soils it- cannot be surpassed. In marshy districts, where the soil is good, it forms a large proportion of the herbage; so muc-h so, that in such cases experienced agriculturists use only perennial ryegrass with a little white- clover. Its duration depends very my.cn upon the nature or the soil and the climate. On dry, light soils, it disappears after the second year - while in moist - Climaths, and on good, heavy soil it will persist for seven years or even longer.” Amongst the many discussions which have taken place on this grass, we often notice it stated that if ryegrass is cut from seed from first year's pasture it becomes an annual. One grower told me he sowed ryegrass on a. : bush-burn. The first crop was an excellent one, 20 bushels to the acre of heavy seed; but the ryegrass never came again, although the land was quite capable of growing it. He never heard liow the seed turned out.

Mr John Buchanan, in his book on grasses—to which 1 will refer later on-o-gives what seems to me the best explanation of this peculiarity of the species. “It is doubtful,” he says, '‘if a true annual grass exists in these islands (speaking of native grasses), the cool and moist climate of many inland localities enabling grasses to maintain a continued growth without the amount of heat-forcing which is at all times necessary to ripen seed the first year, for there certainly exists an inherent tendency in many grasses to flower and seed 1 at an early stage of their growth, and before stoles are thrown out from their roots. In such cases the plant is exhausted and l dies, and may be considered as an annual, although the species may be continued on the same ground from shaken seed. This is undoubtedly the theory of certain supposed perennial grasses, such as loliun perenne, proving sometimes an annual; and such grasses can only be secured perennial by cutting or grazing down the flowering stems for one or more years, till each seeding plant has thrown out numerous stoles from the roots before ripening any seed, by which time a thick, close sward has been, formed. Borne grasses again, such

as the Daetylus glomeratus, require no such attention, possessing, as they do an inherent tendency to delay the process of flowering and seeding for some years, by which time each seed has formed a small tussac, and by their confluence a close sward, thus proving a true perennial grass. °

Moral: Do- not cut ryegrass the first year, if you wish to have a good pasture. The way ryegrass grows on the roadsides or on pathways, where it is being constantly trodden on, or in yards, show's that it must have a continued supply of suitable food, or it is liable to dwindle away. I remember a paddock being laid up for hay and top-dressed with hone dust: when it came to be cut there was little else than ryegrass, although before the top-dressing it -was scarcely visible. Cocksfoot is a very generally useful grass all over New Zealand. It seems to be less fastidious than ryegrass as to the quality of the soil it will grow upon, and, therefore, is more widely used! It does very well on most soils# On rich lime-stone hills, where the "climate is moist enough, or on the volcanic hills such as Akaroa, it is at its best; whilst on sandy soil it grows well. Its tufted habit of. growth, is much against it, and sometimes the stock eating the sideshoots (before it is properly established) pull them off. This is worst in the early frosts. On bush burns, if sown at the rate of a few pounds per acre, it rapidly takes possession and becomes the predominant grass, unless kept from seeding by heavy stocking.

Stock are not always able to cope with its excessive growth in spring and summer in a favourable season. And when in winter this waste grass is grazed by sheep or cattle they do very badly on it. and will always reject it in favour of other feed. English farmers find this the case, too, and they cut the tufts so left with the scythe or mower. The smaller areas they have to deal with makes this possible, but with us this is not a suitable way of dealing with the trouble. The only way is not to let the grass get away from the stock, and not to expect to save up cocksfoot paddocks for stock in winter. It does not give so much trouble after it has been down a few years. To counteract this habit of growing in tufts it is much Getter to grow it with other grasses, as the habit is intensified by growing it alone. Stock, however, eat the seed heads readily. If cut for hay the aftermath springs up with great rapidity. li the seed is allowed to ripen, and the seed stalks cut fairly high as is usual, what remains is practically useless until the fiesh growth, cf spring comes on; possibly hungry young cattle may graze it down, but, as' in grain, ripening VaUes all the nourishment out of the'straw in the process, so cocksfoot ripens at die expense of the rest of the plant, ana leaves little else but indigestible fibre. The roots are especially strong and Vigorous, and press downwards a considerable depth. With careful stocking, so that it does not become rank, this grass is capable of keeping a large quantity of stock on suitable land. Many think that lambs do not do well on it, and there may be something in it, becaues while 10001 b of ryegrass hay extracts from the soil 18.91 bof nitrogen, 101 b of phosphoric acid, 89.31 b potash, and 10.61 b of lime, the same quantity of cocksfoot hay takes about, the same amount of nitrogen, 3.71 b phosphoric acid, 16.81 b of potash, and 3.11 b of lime, and as phosphates of lime are absolutely necessary to the growth of young sheep for their bones, cocksfoot would seem not to provide it as well as ryegrass . On the other hand, to rear lambs on grass alone, is not generally attended with much success anywhere. -

Meadow Foxtail: On moderately good bottom land there —are few (if any) grasses which grow so much feed, and which is so much relished by stock. It is the earliest of all grasses, and I have seen seed stalks making their appearance in September. This habit of early seeding is not in this case a fault, for stock readily eat the seed-head as soon as itmakes its appearance. It does not succeed well on uplands where at all dry. The seed, being expensive, is not so much sown as it should be from its merits. One very valuable habit I have observed. When the seed stalks are reaped for seed, the leaves sedm to retain their succulence to a much greater degree than; I have noticed 1 in any other grasses. . Near . Levin L saw two patches of grass which had been cut for seed, divided! by a. fence. On the foxtail cattle were feeding with apparent relish on the leaves left, and seemed to be fattening; whilst on the other, which was crested dogtail,. there could scarcely be said to be any pasture at all. Foxtail is a considerable time , (three years) before it comes to its best in a pasture ; it has a stoling habit, and after a while it spreads out and establishes itself on'suitable soil; and stock are very fond! of the early bite it provides. It is generally said in England to be a fortnight earlier than the other grasses. The seed ripens very unevenly on the stalk, commencing at the apex of the spike and gradually proceeding towards its base. If you cut it when the top seeds are ready those at the bottom are not ripe, -and the result of this is (and also its-liability to be attacked by a. weavil while-still standing) that a great many of the seeds will, not germinate. To get the most of the seeds the spike would require to- be stripped by hand, taking the top first and leaving the rest to ripen for some time. The germinating

percentage is, therefore, very small, making an already expensive seed still more so by the few plants that grow. Seed grown in this colony germinate better than in England. Dr Steblar gives it. as only 27 per cent. *

Meadow fescue a valuable grass, readily eaten by stock, but I have not observed that in New Zealand it is as permanent as it is spoken of by English writers. One who grew it for seed told me that-., after a- few years it disappeared, and was replaced by other grasses. This also agrees with my own observation where A have sown it myself. Horses are especially fond of this grass, and also the tall fescue, its larger brother.' Some-English writers call this latter Festuea arundinacea. _ X wrote ty. . Mr Carruthers asking iusyppinion, and he pronounced the samp|©'? amt ofkpur t#l fescue as F. elatoiri; spying, : in... tion, there was a confusion . with regard to this' variety, |o some botanists ■naming it by ; pp.e.. others by another. •.. This grass (t-all fescue) when sown on swampy land or on rich river-fiats becomes so strong a grower as to be a very expensive weed. Almost as high as toitoi, it takes almost entire possession, and nothing will eat it except horses. (The analysis shows that it contains a great deal of oxide of iron.) Owners of land in this condition have to grub it up at consideraoie expense and -replace it. It is also very subject to ergot, which is very objectionable. I have sown it on tjie hills, where it does not shows these- disadvantages to anything like the same extent; stock eat it readilyi-c- In damp places it- is even ito'Srb--va-riable to be tufty. Timothy is a very heavy seeder and the seed is easily saved, and a very largo number of seeds go to the pound (1,320,000) so that is always a' cheap grass, ..... to lay down. It is not of much value for grazing purposes in New Zealand, except on w-et land. - The number of seed stalks in proportion to the leaves it glows is very large, - It soon disappears when eaten close- by sheep. It is late in making its growth. For cattl'e grazing on wet sons it does well. On dry soils it seems to develop a bulbous habit just above the ground, and sheep soon exterminate it- by eating this.

Italian 'ryegrass is most valuable for glazing purposes. Easily grown, the seed is comparatively cheap, and it ha? most valuable properties. Stock do remarkably well on it; but, at its best biennial, it is only a temporary crop. Naturally, from its luxuriant growth, it is an exhausting crop, and therefore not a suitable preparation for a grain crop. Still, a paddock of it in spring time is very valuable for ewes and lambs—-re-covering. as it does, so quickly after being eaten down. . Yorkshire fog and sweet vernal are vigorous and pushing enough in their growth, hut, unless on the very poorest land, are cf no value.

The above grasses forin those generally grown for the bulk of the pasture, being the larger species. But most of them are much better sown together with smaller grasses, which will fill lip. the spaces and make the sward closer. How to make the sward close is obviously of great consequence when considering the question of grasses for grazing purposes. A thin sole of grass cannot be expected, to carry as much stock as land covered by a thick sward;. To get the closest sward the land will carry, finer grasses and clovers are generally sown. The smaller fescues have in many 'parts of New Zealand been largely used for this purpose ; but it is not within the scope of a paper of this nature, with no pretentions to be scientific, to enter fully into the subject of the small fescues. There are a considerable number of them very much alike, and so much interest is attached to them that Professor Haeckel has made a special study of the subject and published a monograph upon them. Those of chief interest in new Zealand are throe in number: sheep's fescue, Chewing’s fescue, and hard fescue. •

Sheep’s fescue is sc small and grows so little feed (although much relished by sheep), that, except- for lawns, it is of little value.; especially as the seed is very expensive.

Chewing’s fescue, as everyone knows, originated in Southland, although whether indigenous or introduced I hav-e/ never heard. On certain soils of a light nature it has many admirers. It is mot yet authoritatively classed. It is probably a red fescue; but as that grass has a stoloniferous habit and Chewing's not, it seems, to answer, the description most nearly of “tufted red fescue” in StebJar’s book. Although in some in some districts it is very largely sown, and with very satisfactory results, yetmy own observation would not lead me to value it as highly as the hard fescue grown in New Zealand and descended from imported seed. . The samples of Cliewing’s fescue I have seen and used contained a great amount of. chaff, and must nave had a very low germinating percentage. The cost of the seed of both species is reasonable, but my own experience would lead me to sow hard fescue in.preference to Chewing’s. Where hard fescue has been grown on bush lands for seedi purposes' it lias formed.a good! sward, and 1 it is well worthy of a place on uplands where sheep are to be grazed. , , . Crested dogstaiL is. jnuch less ; sown than it, was. . A fewyears ago it was the most paying seed to grow Of any. It has a most inveterate habit of grow-

Jwig uneatable coed-stalks, which cause it to spread rapidly, but as it grows littie else, it is not, I think, entitled to be regarded with favour.

Of the Poae, that most frequently seen P ifi the Poa pratensis. It forms a close sward, is readily eaten by sheep, but for land that may be broken up its stoloniferous habit?- is much against it. It forms in New such a mat of roots that it is as difficult to deal with as the English twitch. Poa trivialis I have only grown in the garden; but I am inclined to value Poa nemoralis highly- On a hush farm, over which I lately rode, and which had the reputation of growing and fattening good stock, the owner told me he attributed this to the fact that he had sown the nemojalis variety in considerable _ quantity, and that it grew well in winter and early spring. It is much lighter in colour than most grasses, and is well spoken of by most writers on the subject. Ficrm is sometimes sown, but not. viui inuch success as to grazing qualities. Wherever X have seen it grown (or grown, it myself)! have never been satisfied; wnn it It runs to an immense number of seed stalks, and is neglected by stock unless in its earlier stages. There are several native grasses of the same species—viz, Agrostia—-but, as far a® I nave seen, they are cf little value. They are often seen in damp places, but provide Utile feed, which stock reject. (To be concluded next week.) .