LUCERNE AS A FATTENER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 239, 6 October 1916, Page 11

LUCERNE AS A FATTENER.

I With tie area •under raceme mereasing j each fonowing year should come reeognrfcron. of its feeding value and the differI ent ways this may be .turned to account. 12-g possession of a field of lucerne is always aprjTeciated by its possessor, but ' it is seldom that any attempt is made to pat its .produce to any use outside oi cow-feed, and consequently its many uses axe stfll ignosed. AD dairy farmers are unanimous in recenranending it, freshly cut, as an ideal food for mTnHTig cows. How many have given it a trial in other directions? Made into hay, it ma-v be fed wrtfi almost equal resurtsT Lucerne hay, as a winter fodder for the general stock, is not exeeUed by any other. In addition to its value as a fattenins agent it is economical to feed. Stock "are so partial to it that they never M to thoroughly clean it up, thus avoiding airy waste. As a horse feed lucerne hay is hard to beat. Horses wiH leave oaten chaff for this hay if it is a fair sample-

this means a saving in the oat rations. In the feeding of pigs lucerne offers great .posssrilrties. As an aid to the production of pork and bacon it has not been given that attention here which previous results would entitle it to receive. Pigs, a free run on growing raceme, fatten quickly. For brood sows it is most nourishing, and the young pigs make a rapid growth. Lucerne hay has proved very useful both for general feeding and in fattening pigs intended for the factory. They do not always take to the dry hay at the commencement, but a few days usually sees them eating readily enough. If the hay is steamed it is rendered more palatable and easier disposed of by pigs. This means that more is eaten, and a lesser amount of more expensive foods is raruired in the fattening process. The saving effected in handling many pigs should appeal to aU concerned^