NEW GRASSES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20343, 16 September 1931, Page 6

NEW GRASSES.

CANADIAN AND KOREAN. It. might be urged with much truth that- instead of experimenting with new grasses we should make a better job of growing those wo know about. However, this is not always a sound policy. The experimenter should bo listened to, even if he does fail more often than not. New fodder and pasture i>lanis are (•frequently coming into notice, and receive a "boost" that their subsequent history indicates has. been unwarranted. But in many cases it has not been the plant that has been solely to blame. The exporimenter has tired of the delayed results, or ho has followed wrong lines, or he has not had the time or the resources with which to carry on. Such well-known and successful fodders as lucerne and subterranean clover have beon marked down as failures l'rom one or other of the causes mentioned. The former has received many set-backs through wrong handling in the sowing, liming and grazing essentials, and even this last year or two promising subterranean clover fields have been practically ruined through grazing at a time which removed its chaneo of re-seeding. Tho handling of such plants requires as much knowledge and skill as does the growing of wheat. This by the way, however. Crested Wheat Grass. After years of trials and experiments, says a Canadian paper, a new typo of forage grass, known as crested wheat grass, has been developed with the peculiar requirements of "Western Canada iu mind, and it is believed it will play an important part in the development of the livestock iudustry in the Prairie Provinces. Crested wheat is the result of breeding various strains of grasses to provide a variety better than any other for fodder purposes, and tho severest tests seom to demonstrate its advantages over all other sorts. Professor L. E. liirlt, formerly of the University of Saskatchewan and now Dominion Agrostologist, is responsible for this new grass. In its behalf tho official claim is mado that it is more palatable than any other grass, is high ia food value, comes earlier in the spring than any other; in fact, is green .under tho snow. In tests this year crested wheat grass was cut nine times and still remained green and full of sap. Its roots are twice the depth of rye grass, and side by side with rye grass in a field this summer the crested wheat was firmly rooted while tho rye was easily removed. It is held that its use "will tend to prevent soil drifting aa(J> by providing fodder for stock, will enable Western farmers to bo more nearly self-supporting on their own acres. The Hon. Robert W.eir., the Federal Minister for Agriculture, has stated that in some sections of tho West it takes four acres of pasture land to support as many cattle as ono acre'would have maintained same years ago, and Mr Kirk, one of the outstanding authorities on the continent on such problems, will seek to establish tho remedy in his new grass or by some other means. Tho Prairies of Western Canada bear little similarity to the Plains of Canterbury, but the description of tho new plant suggests that it may have possibilities generally. At all events its progress should be of an indirect interest. "Lespedeza." A reader sends " Straggler'' a circulai, forwarded from America stressing the virtues of a plant known as Ipsjiedeza, which is described as a '.'great hay crop," "builds up rundown soils," "ro-seeds itself,' and "equals alfalfa in feeding vrlues." This sounds fairly good. Our foreign-named friend is of Korean, origin. The plant will growon almost any kind of soil, says the leaflet, without lime or fertiliser and does not require inoculation. It is an annual, re-seeding itself each year. Under Ordinary cutting Or grazing, it will continue to thicken and spread. A prominent raiser of this crop says: "An acre which I cut for hay the latter part of July made two tons of hay and a seed crop tho first of October." It is very easily cured for hay, as there are no coarse stems. Its dense growth, with the multitude of nodules, Which it bears, makes it an excellent soil builder. The plant is a heavy seed producer, yielding from 30 to 80 pounds of seed per acre. A single plant left to itself will grow to .a width of 3 feet' and a height of 18 inches. Korean lespedeza has many advantages over red clover. First, it will grow well on soil which has not been limed. Second, it will grow on worn and impoverished soil. And third; it has lasting qualities uncommon in red clover, as it will continue to re-seed the land and does not require inoculation. From ? to 12 pounds of seed per acre sown on top of tho ground in February or March (American seasons) or with oats, will make a dense stand the next year. For a crop tho first year, 15 to 20 pounds per acre should bo sown on wellprepared soil. Some raisers recommend that the crop bo covered lightly as with a roller, and others, that no covering whatever should be used. Lespedeza withstands heavy grazing from early summer until killed by frost. Stock does not siiffexv from bloating when feeding on it. It has been demonstrated that crops grown make better yields after a crop of lespedeza has been raised. It will grow where alfalfa will not grow. It is practically a sure crop. It has been said that one acre of lespedeza is equivalent to 200 pounds of nitrate of sods broadcast on the land. Straggler's correspondent intends to secure some of the seed for a small "try-out."

One of tho reasons of American importation of wool declining is that the domestic flocks are steadily increasing. This year, for instance, there lias been an. increase of 8 per cent, iu the number of lambs clocked compared with U'oO. The total 7 number estimated 'as docked this year is 31,084,000 which is 2,30.0,000 above last year. FARM

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