Ferdinand von Mueller

This miserable grass is called Bromus Sterilis (Linne). Bromus means wild oats, and it is a native of most parts of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa; and, unfortunately, naturalised in many parts of Australia. Fortunately, it is an annual only, that is to say here in a winter-less climate, flowering only once from the same root under ordinary circumstances; so that by preventing it through timely cutting from forming seeds, this grass can be eradicated. It was some years ago actually recommended by one of our public institutions as a most valuable pasture-grass, a dictum which I promptly opposed.

2

See M to G. Berry, 24 October 1883. The recommendation that M opposed came from William Guilfoyle.

[When veterinary-surgeon Desmond explained to Baron von Mueller the mischief this grass caused in stock in this district the Baron replied — ]

3

The text enclosed in brackets, inserted by the newspaper's editors and placed in brackets here as not part of M's text, suggests that there may have been two letters from M included in the one report, although the introduction implies ony one.

It is easily understood what trouble such a grass would give in cases such as you mention, more particularly so as the cause is not always found out at the time the animals are first affected. The holders of sheep-runs on the Murray river and in other localities found the awnes (the beard of the grass) of this bromus not only getting into the wool of their flocks, but actually piercing the skin of the animals. When this grass is pulled or cut, best while in an early flowering stage, the uprooted plants or the cut portions should at once be burned, because if left on the ground some of the seeds may ripen.