LUCERNE CULTIVATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 March 1925, Page 4

LUCERNE CULTIVATION.

IMPROVED METHODS

TRIALS AT MOUMAHAKI' One of the problems confronting the dairy farmer in tne growing of lucerne, which is now last coming to lie cons.tiered almost indispensable for the dairy herd, and which, indeed, has proved very valuable for pigs and sheep,•and in fact all classes of stock, is the cultivation during its growth to maturity, but specially after the first - year, it has been found that some otherwise very useful implements are too severe, and the problem lias beep to get one that, while pulling out tile couch and similar weeds, which root in a mat, will not affect* the young plants. An imnlement which has been used at -Moumahaki State Farm—the Rambler harrow —seeriis likely to fill the hill. It has' the straight tooth necessary, but a series of springs allows.'a sideways movement when the tooth; meets more obstruction such us the lucerne root will give. The result is, as was shown by the demonstration at Moumahaki yeserday, that practically all the rubbish is cleared out, and so far as could lie. seen after careful examination no lucerne came with' the weeds. Apparently only when the tooth |ns the machine is set by lowering the I frame strikes a plant direct has it a [tendency to pull it out. ' While the efficiency of the implement was acknowledged by the gathering of farmers present from many parts of the province, one difficulty is that of haulage. Mr Deem, under whose direction the trial was conducted, had four horses yoked up, and it was fairly heavy pulling. But this could he overcome' by net setting the machine so low, and working the land more often. The results of the trial were undoubtedly very effective and convincing •to all who witnessed the experimental work. The results, as seen, went to prove that the machine w.ould fill a very valuable part in the cultivation' of lucerne. . :■ ’

In order to try it out on various classes of country, arrangements were made to send it down to Mr Collins afc Ivai Iwi. and after a trial there, to reconsign to Mr H. E. Butler at Tokaora. No doubt its advent to South Tgranaki will draw most of the farmers round to see the work done.