LUCERNE.

Lake County Press, Issue 2908, 29 September 1921, Page 5

LUCERNE.

Its Cultivation and Value.

An interesting and instructive address on the above plant was given recently in Geraldine by Mr H. E. Ward, of the Agricultural Department, with a view to popularising it as a fooder crop.

Mr Ward said that the luserne crop suited all classes of farmers from sheep men to dairymen, and that it was well worthy of the name they called it alfalfa, which meant the best of fodder. Lucerne was not a new plant by any moans, having had its origin in Asia 490 years before Christ. It had been grown in New Zealand for 50 years. It depended for its success more from the sub soil than the surface soil, and though doing well in poor soils, did better in good land. Its roots went through shingle in search of water, yet it did not like swampy ground whioh had an excess of moisture. In clay and sand it did particularly well, and its first requirement was a free soil with water at not too great a depth—l2 to 40 feet or bo. Lime applied in from two to four tons to the acre, according to tbe presence Of lime iu tbe soil, was essential. He was referring to carbonate of lime when be said this. If burnt lime was used half the amount would do Carbonate of lime being slower in its action should be pub in in tbe autumn, burnt lime could be used within two months of sowing the crop. Mi Ward said that tbe Geraldine soil did not require inoculated lucerne soil for a lucerne orop. Hunter River and Marlborough varieties were the best to sow, and the Grimm variety, which was not a deep rooted one, was being experimented with, but was not so good as Marlborough. Dodder, a parasite of lucerne, was a great enemy. It was useless trying to pull it off, as its seeds spread. The best way was to out it off above tbe root, and when dry burn both it and the lucerne off. The luoerne would come again, but tbe Dodder would be killed. This plant twined itself round the lucerne and fed on the aap. Lucerne came away well at first, and then seemed to stand still, and this characteristic often allowed weeds to choke it in its early growth. During this period it was rooting downwards It was necessary therefore that luoerne should be sown on olean land, and he reoommended that in Canterbury, where it was more difficult to get a good stand than in limestone country, tbe seed should be put in drills 14 inches to 21 inches apart to allow of intercultivatiou during this period. The roots went down very quiokly, 16 inches in five weeks, and its limit was 50 feet, though the Americans claimed that it went down 120 feet. Cutting the crop too early ohecked tbe root growth. Farmers should allow the first crop to come up to the flowering stage before cutting, and afterwards it should be cut when tbe new young shoots were an inch or two above the crown. If trefoil grew in the neighbourhood the land was almost certain to grow good crops of lucerne There was no trouble growing it in limestone country. It grew well in the Mackenzie Country. The crop should be sown when tbe land had become warm, and was moit valuable when used for bay or ensilage. Where yarrow grew, lucerne should not be planted. Cultivation improved the plant and farmers need not fear to use tine harrows, and grubber on it, but they should not use plough or disc harrows, whioh cut the plant through. In some parts lucerne growing had been tbe means of destroying Californian thistle, the continual cutting of successions of crops killing the weed. On stiff clay soils probably red clover would be a more payable crop, but lucerne was a permanent orop while clover was not. Lucerne had been known to live for 200 years. It was the most paying crop which could be grown and Mr Ward quoted an instanoe where a man made £1,500 off 20 acres. Lucerne was a fodder in itself and equalled bran in feeding value, and its ■ hay could be used without a supple* ' menting ration of turnips.