Agricultural and Pastoral.

Otago Witness, Issue 921, 24 July 1869, Page 16

Agricultural and Pastoral.

CULTIVATION OF GRASSES.

At a meeting of the Victoria Agricultural Society held at Heidelberg, on the 27 th May, an interesting discussion took place upon grasses. Mr Joaiah Mitchell said his experience of lucerne •was that it affected not only the flavor of the milk, but that it makes the butter greasy, and bad to keep. He had not, however, tried the effect of nitre in counteracting the peculiar flavor given to milk by lucerne. Mr Wingrove said on Mr M' Adam's farm at the Kangaroo ground, the dairy cows had been fed on lucerne all through the dry weather, and the butter was excellent, being free from any peculiar taste or smell, Mr John Bell said that since the last meeting the prairie grass on his farm had beaten the perennial rye in growth, and he believed would give double the feed. Mr Mitchell said he quite agreed with Mr Boadle's opinion, that prairie grass would grow much faster and give twice the amount of feed that rye grass does, and grow much m-ire rapidly than any other grass after a dry season breaks up. He thought all species of grasses had their peculiar individualities, th especial properties of each varying. Thus prairie was a great »eefproduoing grass, and would fatten a beast in much quicker time than any other, and was one of the very best for alternate husbandry. His experience with it for fifteen years convinced him that it should be broken up at the end of 6 ve years. The fault of failure is not with the grass, but with those who sow i> on a wrong soil. On rich alluvial flats, he believed prairie and cow grass would grow well together. 4s regarded o unfoin, he believed, if s »wn on chalky soils, it would be a valuable plant, and could be profitably grown here. Tie had seen it thrive wonderfully on the poor hills of Yorkshire ; and although it took three years to establish it, it would then last for twenty years. As regarded f o<' crass, he had no opinion of it. bweetBoen ed vernal was a good grass for sheep, as was cocksfoot, but cattle will not eat cocksfoot untile obliged. He had seen horses travel over fine cocksfoot to get a nibble of short prairie grass. Crested <Ws tail and timothy were both well adapted to this colony, and ribgrass was a gr.,B, which might be sown with advantage on poor and dry soils for sheep. Mr Job Smith said that on the deep " eh l™ d ™ the banks of the Mem Creek, he had had during the whole of the late hot weather lucemWto his knees. Mr Mithell said that on Mr Beck's farm at Sunbury, the lucerne was cut during the dry Beaaon at least aix times ; he had been on the Hunter River, and the- bulk of the land there wtW sown with lucerne ;it was cut four times yearly, made into hay, and sent to Sirdnov H e believed that lucerne would SU well on the plains round Melbourne Snrt on all volctfiio and alluvial soils of sufficient depth that had clay aubsoila. Mr?T. Angus said the prize cattle lately sent over here from Sydney were fed on lucerne, la his own immediate neighbourhood, during the recent dry season, lucerne was the only green crop to be Keen •it grew well all through it. Mr. Bond had seen lucerne all the past season Kr ,, w well on tho banks of the River Plenty and believed it to be a valuable plant for dry seasons. Mr. D. Young Sum 'ht it would be folly for farmers with short" leases to attempt to pw ejjj j Income or sainfoin, but would recommend owners of land to sow both plants. Ho d«cicl«dly gave the preference topine crass over rye ; he had seen a paddock of prairie grass mown three times for hay iaat season, which afterwards kept ninety cows on it. Mr. Durham suggested that the society should offer a very liberal prise the next three years to any farmer who should successfully cultivate the greatest breadth of sainfoin. He believed that for some time to corr.e growing it tor tbo aoed would be highly remunerative, a» the seed must always be new, or it would not grow ; its present price was Is. nor onnce, and, if tho plant succeeded wuil here, the demand for wod would contiimo for a long time. If other societios would alao offer prizes for the same oHoct, the plant would bo more ex ensively t'X.«rimented with. In tho Heidelberi? district there was very little chance of many experiments being made ; the ehort tenure of the leases (three years) would doter most motv. In fact, there] would soon bo a general exodna of all the most practical farmers from^ Heidelberg, no los than eivthtof them having taken un laud under the 42nd elaiuo new Lilly. t«ilo, preferring to clear a patch they can , cai thoir ownfto submitting to the uncertainty of their tenure or tae caprice of l«ud rds H»»iD» briefly reviewed tho irtnent; wM* *-* .^Vr^rblm eu«.in*tfin« experiment! in the «ww*oj committee of th* iooktyjstyhtJWtWW

agree upon. , ThY motion 1 was alewmted ;to. It was then moved' and' carried—" That in the opinion of this mcc ing lucerne is a valuable plant for' cultivation in this colony , on deep alluvial and naturally-, drained stroug volcanic soils. That prairie grass, perennial rye grass, and cow grass are first-class grasses, and well adapted for general cultivation in connection with a system of al ernate husbandry. And that cocksfoot, timothy, swset vernal, crested dog's tail, aud rib grass are also desirable, and well adapted for sheep pastures." Ryb. — This cereal has many advantages over either wheat or oats. It can be sown in almost any aoil, and land that has been impoverished by the continual cropping of wheat and oats will give an excellent return of rye when other crops would fail ; in faofr, it appears to do best on poor or light sqiL The preparation of the ground iB the dame as for wheat. No pickling is requisite for the seed, which should be sown when the soil is dry, as it germinates slowly. The ground requires less culture and mantire than for wheat, the after culture being the dame. There are two varieties, winter and spring rye, the difference being scarcely perceptible, and it is aaid to have the properties of keeping off mildew and blight from the immediate neighbourhood. It may be added, that *here iB a sure market for all that oan be produced for years to come, with the distilling companies, who cannot get enough, and guarantee a good price to anyone willing to grow it. Washing Wool.— A correspondent of the Australasian writes from New South Wales, to know what experienced woolgrowers in Victoria think of the hot-water process, now that it has been condemned by some of the London wool-buyers. He says— " I should very much like to know what the impression is iv Victoria amongst sheep-holders regarding washing sheep in hot water before being spouied. Since the receipt of the last news from England, which comments not very favourably on the hot-water process, many persons here are halting between two opinions, whether to adopt the hot- water at a medium temperature of, say about 90°, or dispense with it altogether." The Australasian replies :—" Hot water, improperly used, may be injurious, but there is no doubt that warm water, not over 100°, with aoap and soda in the aoaking-pen, gives brightness to th.9 wool, and softens the dirt, so that it can be removed more quickly and more thoroughly than after any amount of soaking in cold water.