THE USES OF COCKSFOOT GRASS AND LUCERNE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 7

THE USES OF COCKSFOOT GRASS AND LUCERNE.

tO THE EDITOB. B,lb,— ln looking over a late issue (February 18tb) of the Australasian, I noticed a letter «nd an article on the advantages of cocksfoot seed above all other grasses for permanent Eaature, and as I think it would interest runRiders here, I Bhould like you to insert it in ygur valuable paper, more especially as in consequence of the great run Bale large pur chases of grass seed are likely to be made.— l ami &c, ' Peemanbnt. . The following are the letter and article referred to by our correspondent : — Pabtdraob, New Zealand, writes :— Knowing that you "have many extra dry seasons to contend with, and 'scarcity of grass being the result, we would advise &U those who are directly or indirectly interested in developing the grazing industry of the country to have at least one paddock laid down with the above grass. We have had here (New Zealand, in the Timaru and Oamaru districts) an extra dry season, so much so that there is actually a prosecution going on at the present time, the party being an extensive farmer in the Oamaru district, he having .allowed his sheep to get into such poor condition jthat some of them actually drooped and died, his defence being that the grass got all scorched up 'Owing to the extra dry season. We are confident J had, there been cocksfoot grass growing on the same land the result would nave been different, as -tije .following will prove:— We have here in the .Timaru, district a paddock containing 450 acres . (known as part of the Kingadown Estate) sown with cocksfoot alone, the contrast being very striking, it 1 looting so beautifully green compared with other ' paddocks adjoining, although there are thousands of I Bheep grazing on it at the present time, and have I been during the whole season. We hold that cocks- , toot should form a goodly proportion of grass seed ■ mixtures, especially for hilly country, as it will , grow and flourish where other grasses die for want • J of moisture ; besides, frost will not affect it. It > may be considered a rough grass, but the roughness , vanishes dating an extra dry season, when all other ,igraßßesfail. , Although cocksfoot grass has from time immemorial been highly esteemed throughout ] Europe as a component part of pastures, its merits were not generally admitted or recognfeed'by tbe early settlers in Australia. Perennial ryegrasa was held up as the beat sort for grazing, and the reason was not far to seek, Cocksfoot had the reputation in North Britain of being adapted for sour land, and hence, as ori coming to this country colonists brought with them home customs asd prejudices, a preference was given to perennial ryegrass. Then, as time wore on, ana the grasses sown with it died out, leaving the ryegraes sole possessor of the soil, farmers became strongly impressed with the advantages seemingly belonging to it. It was not for a considerable time that some more far seeing than others began to perceive ia the fact of the continued existence of the grass when all others had disappeared an indication of its being less palatable to stock than the others. A little further observation served to place each grass on its proper footing. The other grasses had disappeared because they were naturally shorter-lived, and, through being constantly Btookotl, no opportunity had bean allowed them of reproducing their rsa^ecave specien from peed. At tbe ewne time seed-stalks of lyogi-iwa

might be commonly seen In almost any pasture in the early summer. The truth was that its flavour wag not inviting, and that stock did not eat it until compelled by hnw«er to do so. Of late years, through experiences of cocksfoot in some of the cooler districts, that grass has become a favourite. It is coarse, but both sheep and cattle prefer it to ryegraeu, and its tufty h»bit enables it to hold its own in many dry soasona fully aa well as any of the native perennial grasses. Cocksfootbeing Jfonnd not only throughout Southern Europe, but also in Northern Africa, it should be a suitable grass for Australia, nearly, or quite, as far north as the Richmond and Clarence districts of New South Wale*. Ia Gippeland, and in all the coaler and more humid parts of Victoria, it should form a principal part of tbe sown pasturage. It ia green when nearly all other sown grasses are burnt up, even in dry Boa^Mns such as the present. Although the v»luaMe testimony to its worth given from New Zealand in our correspondence columns will not be new to a great many in Australia, there are still a large numbers of occupiera of land who have yet to make its acquaintance. In one important particular, too, that of being nearly fire-proof, it is almost equal to lucerne, of which we are now about to speak. Apart from the value of tho lucerne for pasturage in the extra-tropical portions of Australia, its eligibility as a fatm crop affording perfect protection against bush fires entitles it to special notice at this season. Many a homestead destroyed by the late fires would now be standing intact had it been in the mid"t of 20 acres of lucerne. A drilled crop in such a position could be readily kept free from weeds, or any growths that would supply food for fire. The area might be divided as convenient, and if into less than three BecMons, each depastured in turn, this area of crop would be found an element of convenience in the management of the farm. But this should not be the only portion of lucerne ou a half-section. There should be a verge at least 20 feet wide inside tba whole length of the boundary fence. It is obvious, that if neighbouring farmers adopted this practice, bush fires such as those that lately ravaged lar.se districts of settled country would not have attained euch proportions as they did. Within each farm the cropn nhould be so arranged as to prevent a fire spreading beyond tbe enclosure in which it originated. Potatoes form one capital barrier to fire; mangels »nd carrots another. All these, and also lucerne, were available for protection in the Lancefield district. In the purely pastoral districts represented in the letter of a Jerildere correspon dent, lucerne alone is available, and that, once laid down, should not only prove a barrier against fire, but also a valuable source of summer feed. The fact of the winter frosts being hard enough to brown the foliage is immaterial. Lucerne in such a district is a summer pasturage plant, and if it can once get its roots well down into the subsoil it will stand aj great deal of dry weather. This getting down is a principal point. On the dry clay plains asuistance must be given, or the plant will not become established or gain a useful degree of strength. The land should not only be ploughed but also partially, subsoiled. The most useful implement for this work would be the combined plough and subsoiler. The surface should be well pulverised before sowing, which operation, as the winters are frosty, should be deferred until the season at which frosts occur has gone by, unless rains occur so early in the autumn as to justify a sowing not later than the middle of March. > The determination of the proper time of sowing is, bowever, a local matter, although atill one of great importance. It is possible that in seasons suoh as the last no really good opportunity may have ocourfld for sowing lucerne on the plains, and that a second attempt may be required to establish a strong aud useful plant. A weak and stunted plant rarely or never developes into a strong one, and thus it is desirable that no dheok be sustained by this invaluable crop in its infancy.