WHITE SWEET CLOVER.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 March 1922, Page 3

WHITE SWEET CLOVER.

. (To the Editor.) >Sir, —I cannot allow to pass without 1 challenge the letter appearing in your s paper from the Bon. Mr Noswortby to Mr - Seddon, M.P., re white sweet clover, as it j is altogether misleading. I would thcrefore like to draw the Minister’s attention , to the article in tho Government Journal 5 of Agriculture of May 20, 1915, and again > in, 1 think, the June or July copy of the ' same year an article by Mr R. E. Fairfax Chohneley, field inspector, New Plymouth, ’ who states that Mr E. Griffith, of New | Plymouth, is growing sweet clover as food . for cows on his Jersey farm at Bell block, i A load of melilotus alba is cut and carted L to the cows every day ami is eaten readily ’ by them. The cows appear to appreciate it and are doing well. He goes on to say : ( “One cannot help feeling impressed with > the- possibilities of melilotus alba as a 1 fodder for stock in this country. So far the 1 yield has been in excess of any crop I ' have seen giowing in the district ami Mr * Griffiths is greatly pleased with the result.” Again in the July issue of the same year another article by the same writer appears. Amongst other things he says; “When lucerne and other crops in this district were looking ill through bad weather conditions white sweet 1 lover was thriving and doing well. Haxing obtained permission to cut a bundle I tried it on some young heifers and a horse who ate it readily.” Now, Sir, the above is practical and also agrees with my own practical experience of this greatest of all fodder plants. Every practical larmer wi.l agree when I say that a farmer’s animals are the best judges, and may .1 be permitted to say, all due respe; t to Dr Cockayne’s opinion, that I and my stock beg to differ strongly with the doctor. Now, Sir, I have it on the word of Mr Dalgliesh that lucerne is not a practical success on the Coast, and I know white sweet clover is, and that on the worst ground, ami if anyone can show me anything better I shall be delighted to make that gentleman’s acquaintance. I am sure there is only one desire on my part, and that, is the advancement of this comparatively backward Coast, for 1 have not spared time or money in drawing the attention of the West Coast farmer to this ideal forage plant. Yours for the advancement of the Coast, J. PEERING, Kmnara Junction.