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[Submitted to the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 5th April, 1871.]
In presenting to this Society their report, your Committee have to express regret that in some respects their labours have not been crowned with the success they anticipated, more especially as regards native grasses.
As a first step in the prosecution of the task allotted to them, your Committee resolved on taking in hand the subject of native grasses, as being, besides its intrinsic importance, that on which information was most deficient. To facilitate the collection of such information, they prepared a printed list of such native grasses as appeared to them most valuable (33 in number), with a series of questions in a shape conveniently arranged for the insertion of the required answers. These questions referred mainly to the locality, altitude, and peculiarities of soil in which each grass is found. Its season of flowering or seeding, its feeding value in different seasons of the year, the special circumstances affecting its growth, its power of resisting drought and frost, its comparative feeding properties, and how it is relished by different kinds of stock, its increase or the reverse since the settlement of the country and the cause thereof, and generally any other information that could be furnished.
A large number of these papers, accompanied by a printed circular, setting forth the objects your Committee had in view, were distributed amongst gentlemen who were thought likely to take an interest in the subject, both in this and the other provinces of New Zealand.
One serious obstacle in the way of acquiring the desired information did not fail to present itself to your Committee, namely, their inability, save in a very few cases, to give any but the botanical names of the native grasses. This they feared would prove an insurmountable difficulty to many persons who would otherwise willingly respond to their inquiries. Their anticipations on this head have proved but too correct.
To lessen this impediment so far as lay in their power, your Committee in some instances, therefore, where from the presumed pursuits and studies of the persons addressed they believed it advisable, added a special communication, of which the following is an extract:—
“The Committee in preparing a list of grasses have had a difficulty in giving the common names, and as many observers of grasses may not be able to recognise them under their scientific nomenclature, it is desirable that the English and Maori names should be added where practicable. Believing that you will be able to assist them in this object, the Committee will feel obliged
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by your attaching the common names to the inclosed list, and returning it at your earliest convenience.”
In short, your Committee asked generally for the assistance of all persons interested in the furtherance of the important subject they had undertaken.
The answers to the appeal of your Committee were but very few, and those contained (with one important exception to be afterwards referred to) only expressions of regret at being unable to furnish the information asked for. The only information received as to the common names, either English or Maori, was from Mr. Colenso, of Hawkes Bay, who states that, “As to the Maori names of grasses (in the printed list), the smaller ones are all known as Patiti; No. 3, Hierochloe redolens, has a separate name, and is called Karetu.”
Your Committee, in expressing themselves as above, do not wish to be understood as implying censure on any of the gentlemen to whom they addressed themselves, for apathy in the matter, for they have reason to believe that in most cases the cause why the circulars were not returned was, that the settlers to whom they were sent were unable to identify the grasses by their technical names; and as the Committee, as before stated, were unable to give the common names in the circular, there thus arose almost a deadlock between the parties.
The above general statement of the course adopted and its results will, your Committee are convinced, go far towards indicating the causes of the imperfect success attained in that branch of the inquiry to which the Society attached peculiar interest, viz., the acquiring a more perfect knowledge of the properties of, and the best means of utilising, the indigenous grasses of the colony.
Before leaving this part of their report, your Committee wish, in connection with their native grass circulars, to advert particularly to the one exception before alluded to. That exception is a valuable contribution from Mr. Thomas Kirk, of Auckland. Besides returning the tabulated form with the desired replies as to the grasses therein named which are natives of Auckland, and giving additional information on other native grasses of that province not mentioned in your Committee's list, and some of which are probably peculiar to the North Island, Mr. Kirk accompanied his reply with some interesting specimens of indigenous grasses, and also a comprehensive and valuable paper on the progress and condition of exotic grasses in the province of Auckland. (Appendix A. to this Report.)
The dried specimens above mentioned consist of Microlœna stipoides, Zoysia pungens, Isachne australis, and Sporobolus elongatus, and came to hand in a good state of preservation.
In his letter accompanying these contributions, and addressed to the chairman of your Committee, Mr. Kirk, after many kindly expressions of interest
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in the work on hand, and apologies for delay arising from severe illness, goes on to remark: “I have filled up the form as well as I could; for, as to the indigenous grasses of the province, you will observe that the most valuable kinds with you take but a secondary place here, whilst those of most service to us do not come so far south as Canterbury. I have added rough notes on the chief cultivated and naturalised grasses in this province (Auckland), as it is evident that good permanent pasture can not be made by native grasses alone, although several species are of great value when mixed with the ryegrasses, fescues, and meadow grasses of Europe.” Again: “Severe frosts are unknown north of the Auckland isthmus, and we have no hills so high as 3,000 feet even, except on the south and south-eastern extremity of the province, so that little can be said of the effects of frost on altitude.” Mr. Kirk concludes by courteously volunteering his further services in any way that can advance the work on hand, and asking your Committee to kindly send him in return specimens of any indigenous grasses of Canterbury—“especially,” he says, “those marked on your list, so as to ascertain any divergence in nomenclature.”
Your Committee, sensible of Mr. Kirk's ready kindness, desired their chairman to convey to that gentleman their thanks for, and great appreciation of, his valuable contributions. In addition to which, Mr. Armstrong (a member of your Committee), in comformity with his request, forwarded to him a selection of such specimens (35 in number) of the native grasses of Canterbury as he thought most desirable and acceptable, and has now an additional number in course of preparation.
The information given by Mr. Kirk your Committee strongly recommend should be printed in extenso, both on account of its intrinsic value, and because it chiefly refers to the province of Auckland, which is so far distant from Canterbury, that it is quite possible the same grasses may occupy different positions relatively in the two places.
Finally, Messrs. J. F. and J. B. Armstrong have furnished your Committee with a series of notes on 42 grasses indigenous to the province of Canterbury, which your Committee are persuaded will prove of great value and interest. (Appendix B. to this Report.)
At the commencement of this season, your Committee sent out a few circulars (with tabulated lists as before), requesting information upon 21 exotic grasses, and they are glad to be able to report that three of these have been returned, with much valuable information filled in. The Committee is indebted for these to Messrs. S.D. Glyde, M. Dixon, and J. C. Boys, three gentlemen who have had considerable experience in grasses.
To facilitate comparison, the replies and remarks furnished by the abovenamed gentlemen in the returned circulars have been thrown into a synoptical
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form, and are presented in an Appendix, together with a series of observations by Mr. A. Duncan, one of the Committee, which your Committee anticipate will prove of much interest to the practical cultivator. (Appendix C. to this Report.)
During the season your Committee have collected, chiefly through the instrumentality of Mr. Armstrong, a large number of specimens of native and exotic grasses. These have all been named; and the native grasses, properly classified in frames, will be exhibited in the Museum, the Director having kindly made room for them in a position where they may be easily seen, and will thus afford a ready means to all who may take an interest in the subject, to familiarise themselves with the appearance and names of the indigenous grasses, and much facilitate future inquiries.
The specimens of exotic grasses are being arranged in books, which will be placed in cases, and, on application to the custodian, given out to any person who may be desirous of inspecting them; a list of these several grasses is submitted with the report.
In addition to these Mr. Armstrong has furnished a list of the naturalized grasses of Canterbury, which will be found in Appendix D. to this Report.
In conclusion, your Committee confidently hope that, although, from the limited amount of information they have been able to obtain, more particularly as regards the indigenous grasses, the result of their labours may seem but slight, it will, nevertheless, materially facilitate further inquiries should the Society, now or at any future time, determine on further prosecuting investigations, the object of which is the “adding to the wealth of the permanent pastures of the colony.”
Robert Wilkin
, Chairman.