The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-09-11
Paspalu11 Grass.

req ana Wh1Ce clover ana ClmOIny are
seldom successfully grown in Florida,
we are short of good pasture grasses.
Possibly the grass described in an article
in The California Cultivator may be
just what we need. Has any one in
this state ever tried it here? The arti-
Gle is as follows:
B. Harrison writes The Cultivator,
from New South Wales, regarding Pas
palum grass, which is proving of great
value to stockmen of Australia. Of the
grass he says:
Of this celebrated grass Mr.. W. S.
Campbell, Director of Agriculture, N.
s. w., says: "This grass has attained
such remarkable prominence, and so
many people have become acquainted
with it's great value, and so much has
been written about it's merits, that any
thing one can write upon the subject
seems superfuous." He also says, speak
ing of it's introduction: "Gradually the
farmers took to planting it, and as it's
excellent qualities became known, the
demand for seed and plants became
enormous, and it's name has now become
familiar to every man, woman and child,
not only in the Richmond and Tweed
River districts, but all over the coastal
districts of the state"
This is the favorite grass with the
stock owners here, and to the dairy
men especially has proved a veritable
gold mine. It produces an immense
amount of succulent heritage, which is
eagerly relished by all stock grows
from five feet to ten feet high; bears
a large quantity of seed which can
oHi1u no Hiunoco1 of o%
and thrives we'll almost anywhere. No
growth, quantity and quality of heritage,
and it's adaptability to almost any soil
or climate; and the person who intro
duces the grass into his district will
prove benefactor, not only to the
locality in which he resides, but the
country generally Any land on which
Paspalum is established is worth from
$50 to 500 per acre in Australia.
This is what Mr.. G. F. Julius, Secre-
tary Dairymen's Union, Bucca Creek,
says in the Government Agricultural
Gazette, N. S. w.: '"This remarkable
plant is quickly coming to the fore
front as a grass peculiarly adapted to
our uncertain climate. Being a Deep
rooter, it's properties as a drought-re-
sister alone proclaim it invaluable; and,
while Throughout the warmer seasons of
the year it surpasses all other grasses
in the rapidity and abundance of it's
growth the severest of our frosts, al
though retarding it's growth, fails to
subdue it's evergreen state. It is most
eficacious in subduing and preventing
the growth of all noxious weeds. By
the. assistance of Paspalum dilatatum
many lands hitherto deemed worthless
in their rocky, billy or swampy situa
tions have been triumphantly reclaim
ed"
The Agricultural (Govt) Gazette
says: Throughout the length and
breadth of the northern dairy districts
Paspalum grass is regarded as the king
of pasture grasses, and at present it
has, no doubt, every claim to such a
position"
Mr.. HI. Munsey, of Dundas IN. S. W.
says; 'Paspalum is the grass that has
revolutionized the dairying industry on
the north coast. Scores of instances can
be- quoted showing that the capacity
of farms has been doubled and trebled,
and it forms dense mass of succulent
forage. Having spent over month 60
ing through farms where this grass has
been sown. I can safely recommend it's
planting on large scale. I have seen
farms where 100 head of dairy cattle
have been kept all the year round on
less than 100 acres of land, giving splen-
did returns in milk and butter This
grass, if enclosed for short period dur