Melbourne, 3 Sept. 1890.
The honorable Alfr. Deakin, M.L.A.,
Chief Secretary.
Sir.
In accordance with your request I have the honor, to report on the
and other pasture-plants, concerning which the West-Australian Government desires
information. Through the Department of Agriculture here the above named Lathyrus has
been brought under notice prominently in Victoria during the present year. The plant
is long known in its European native countries as a perennial rambling herb of nutritive
value, which — as its specific name implies, — likes wood-lands, and should in Australia
prove particularly valuable in scrubby ranges. Already in the edition of 1888 I referred
in the "select plants" specially to this
as worthy of rural consideration,
but it should be borne in mind, that the "Jarosse", (
) and an other of the "Flat Peas" (
,) has caused, by frequent and copious use paralysis to pasture- or stable-animals,
particularly through the pods of these plants, so that I have cautioned in the "Select
plants" against the indiscriminate use of all the species of Lathyrus already by public
means. As an ingredient of mixed pasturage the
might become quite valuable, particularly when naturalized on stony or sandy declivities
among other herbage; but we possess so many other equally nutritive plants, free of
any danger, that the extensive utilisation of this Lathyrus seems hardly recommendable.
As regards the further information, desired by the W.A. Government about other plants,
particularly suited for fodder and tried in Victoria, I would refer only to leading
kinds, which, however, are likely to some extent already introduced as permanent possessions
into the great western territory, especially as I have myself during the last thirty
years forwarded rural seeds also to that part of the Australian continent in interchange
for botanic specimens and seeds of W.A. native plants. Among English grasses, extensively
grown in Victoria, should be mentioned as best, the Medow-Foxtailgrass, the Crested
Dogtailgrass, the Cocksfoot-grass, the Meadow-Fescue, the perennial Rye-grass, the
Timothy-grass, the Meadow Pea. (See index of vernaculars 504-517 in seventh edition
of "Select plants"
) — concerning these and several other grasses and also herbs, recommendable for pastural
purposes, special information being afforded in that work, of which many copies have
successively found their way also to W.A. Among extra-english grasses should be mentioned
as particularly noteworthy and as first introduced by me into Australia the Teosinte
and the Coapim — besides these the Mitchell-grass, the Haleppo-Grass, the Southern
Prairie-Grass, the
, not to mention others freely noted in the work above quoted, and of which it would
be well, that some hundreds of copies were distributed through West-Australia or there
an
abridged edition
for local use be brought out, containing all the plants, marked as prominently valuable
with an
asterisk
.
Regarding pasture- and stable-herbs doubtless the ordinary red and the common white
clover are long since attended to in W.A. also, but perhaps not the Bersin-Clover,
the Strawberry-Clover, the Alsike-Clover, the Carnation-Clover, the Japan-Clover.
It is hardly necessary, to refer to the advantage of Luzerne-cultivation on a large
scale and to that of the Vetch, Sainfoine and ordinary Grasses for which many regions
of West Australia should be well adapted. But I would like, to draw particular attention
to two species of Medicago, the M. orbicularis and M. scutellata, both introduced
by me into Australia, as they are easily naturalized on pastures, are much liked by
herds and flocks, and leave in the hot season the pods copiously on the ground for
nutriment of pastoral stock without detriment to wool.
In new tracts of country, where as yet no detail experience in rural adaptation has
been gained, it would be a good plan, to sow experimentally what Seed-Merchants call
"Mixed pasture-grasses" and "Mixed pasture-herbs", in as much as after the end of
the season in each locality it could be ascertained, which sorts had thriven best,
so that then the specially eligible kinds could copiously be reared according to the
then experience gained. All the plants, alluded to on this occasion, give a return
in the first season; but the Carob-tree and some other highly important plants of
woody growth should not be overlooked in general rural considerations within the great
western colony, where the variety of clime in different regions through wide latitudes
admits of very varied cultures and naturalizations. Indeed in an illustrated report
on "the forest-resources of West-Australia", which on request I was happy to furnish
honorarely to the authorities in Perth 1878, and which was published by the W.A. Government
subsequently,
I touched passingly also on the subject of the improvement of pastures there as desirable
even in silvan districts.
I beg to accompany this document by a copy of the latest Edition of the "Select plants.
I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient and humble servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Gov. Botanist.
