WILD WHITE CLOVER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 18 August 1934, Page 10

WILD WHITE CLOVER

Place in N.Z. Farming USEFUL ON LIGHT SOILS English wild white clover has been receiving some attention from New Zealand farmers in the last four or five years. The seed is high priced, but this clover has such a reputation in England that farmers in some parts of the Dominion do not begrudge the price asked, and there is likely to bo on extension of the area devoted to it, according to Southern reports. Mr B. McGillivray, Feilds Superintendent, Christchurch, in a recent statement said that ho knew the English wild white clover very well, as he had spent a considerable amount of time when in England inspecting fields and generally enquiring into its capabilities. The finest fields he had seen were in Kent and Gloucestershire, but the clover was also prominent in other counties. The clover was a dense growing type, and the leaves were smaller than the ordinary type of white clover. In most cases it was slow in establishment and did not ilower until the second year. It was essentially a permanent pasture plant, and in the Waimate district, where it was sown on Mr W. L. Hay’s farm, it did not show much growth until the third spring after sowing; now it was in splendid condition, there being a close dark green sward. Mr McGillivray said that the merits of English wild white clover were first mentioned in 1854, but it was not until about 1885 that any actual trials were carried out. These trials were'undertaken on the Hawarden Estate, in Hampshire, the property of the late Hon. W. E. Gladstone. The experiment was arranged in one acre plots, and white clover from various parts of England and some from the Continent was sown. The plots were allowed to remain down for five or six years. In the first two years several of the types had disappeared, and in five years all had disappeared from the pasture except the wild white type, which was a mass of dark green herbage. This experiment had a far-reaching influence on the use of wild white clover by English farmers, as the plots had been inspected by prominent farmers from all parts of the country. The demand for seed grew rapidly and the retail price at times reached 30/- a pound. The seed of genuine wild white clover from old pastures was generally harvested along with tie seed of the other constituents of the pasture, which usually consisted of crested dogstail and perennial ryegrass. The yield of English wild white clover was considered by Mr McGillivray not to be great. He was informed by Engish farmers that it ranged from 4u to SUlbs. an acre, but some farmers in Kent obtained up to 1001 b. an acre where heavy dressings of basic slag had been applied.

Asked as to the place of English wild white clover in New Zealand agriculture, Mr McGillivray said he had a profound respect for this clover, but he was convinced that for all of the heavier soils our New Zealand certified No. 1 type of white clover was preferable to the English type. The, New Zealand No. 1 type was a large leaved clover of very high production. It was quick in establishment and showed a rapid recovery after either grazing or cutting, and was very persistent. It was probable, however, that a place would be found for both types—the English type on the lighter soils and the New Zealand wild typo on the heavier soils. Both types would take their place in farming, not by any boosting, but by sheer merit.