Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. For the text given here, see Proceedings & journal of the Agricultural & Horticultural Society of India, vol. 10 (1895), pp. 186-7. The letter was reprinted in full in Western mail (Perth), 9 February 1895, p. 33, where it was said to have been reprinted from the Weekly times, Auckland, NZ. The body of the letter was also printed in Gardeners' chronicle, 3 November 1894. See also M to the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, September 1894 (in this edition as 94-09-00).

Port Fairy,

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Vic.

Dated the 7th September 1894.

Baron Sir Ferd. von Mueller,

Melbourne.

Dear Sir Ferdinand, —

I can inform you that the cattle in this district will eat the Marram-grass, no matter how coarse it may have grown, and it is undoubtedly a good fodder for cattle during our winter. I don't attempt for one moment to say that I would plant Marram-grass for fodder on land that would grow Rye-grass, Lucerne, Clover, &c.; but I do certainly say, that if any person has got any sandy land, which is of a shifting nature, and on which they can get nothing to grow, I would advise them to plant that grass, and they would soon have the land covered with vegetation, which would prevent the sand from drifting, and be food for cattle, and the more the grass is dug out, burnt, or eaten off, the better it improves, it grows richer, and not near so coarse; and once the land is properly stayed (if required) different kinds of grasses could be sown amongst the Marram-grass. As a sandstay there is nothing to equal it, it does not matter how high the sandhill may be, or how great the drift; if the grass is properly planted, it is an easy matter to get it to grow and also to prevent the sand drifting. I may inform you that the Borough Council of Port Fairy were desirous of making a road to the beach from one of the streets of the town, and to do so, they had to cut through a hill of drifting beach sand, many persons at the time prophesied that it would be impossible to prevent the sand from drifting. However the work was undertaken, and a cutting of about 25 feet width was made through the sand-hill, and Marram-grass planted to prevent drift, with the result that no sand whatever drifted into the cutting, and the whole place is now covered with grass. While in Adelaide some few weeks ago I took a run down to Henley-Beach and the Grange, where I noticed that the sand along that coast in places was drifting very badly; if steps were taken at once to plant the drifts with Marram-grass, it would prevent a lot of valuable property from being destroyed, and the cost would not be very great. I also noticed that a few rows of Marram-grass had been planted in a paddock at Fendon,

3

Findon, SA?

and the grass was growing very well. During this season a large quantity of Marram-grass has been sent from here to different parts.