ANTIQUITY OF LUCERNE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 12 May 1925, Page 6

ANTIQUITY OF LUCERNE.

. GROWN 1900 YEA:R.Sfc AGO. Iji connection with the antiquity of lucerne as a farm crop it may be of interest to quote the old Roman writer. Columella, who shows that even in the Ist Century, A. 0., agriculturists in Italy possessed a sound knowledge of lucerne and esteemed it very highly. He writes thus:— “Of the more popular, fodder crops, lucerne is best; once sown it will last for ten years, and can be mown easily four times, often six “times, a year. It enriches the soil; any stock in poor condition will get fat"on it; it lias a salutary effect on ailing animals; a jugerunx (say two-thirds of an acre) will keep three horses for a year. The' method of sowing is the following—The land on which the lucerne j s to be sown in the following sirring should be roughly ploughed about October 1 and allowed to weather all the winter. On February 1 go over it again, removing all the stones and breaking up the clods. Then some time in March give it its third ploughing and harrow it. After thus having got a good tilth, lay out plots, like garden beds, 10rt. wide by 50ft. long, so that water can Ire led along the intervening paths, and the labourers can have access on both sides to hoe. Then apply well-rooted manure, and sow at the end of April at the rate of about a syathus (about l-12th pint) of seed to a plot 10ft. by oft.. Immediately .after sowing, cover the seed with wooden rakes (harrows). This is a very useful proceeding, as the seeds quickly become parched by the sun. After sowing, no iron implement must touch the crop. And, as I have said, it must be harrowed with wooden harrows and frequently weeded, to prevent other plants killing the unestablished lucerne. The first crop should he taken rather late, after it has shed some of its seed. Afterwards it may be cut young, when it has made some growth, and given to stock, but only sparingly at first, until they get accustomed to it, lest the novelty of the fodder should injure them. For it blows stock and causes fullbloodedness. After it has been cut water frequently. A few days afterwards, when it begins to shoot again, weed out all other plants. So treated it will last ten years and give six crops a year.”