A GREAT FODDER CROP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 430, 22 June 1922, Page 9

A GREAT FODDER CROP.

LECTURE ON LUCERNE CROWING

A feature of the conference of Ihe National Dairy Association was an address •.in Incertiu growing delivered yesterday liy Mr K. Mult, oi lien Morven Station, Marlborough. Lucerne growing afforded I lie besi assurance againsl dry seasons and. he pointed out, ii had grown in appreciation since its wide-spread adoption as a held plum. Lucerne was recognised as a dry weather resistant and an eflicient und prolific producer, and in this connection lie recommended the broad-leafed variety. It could be raised almost on any class of soil, providing it. was grown on hind that was sweet, free of weeds and provided with a liberal amount of organic matter. Drainago was essential and sour land should be limed. The best piece of land on the farm should be used for the first experiment in lucerne glowing. It was an admirable food for livestock, on'account of ils flesh-forming and milk-producing properties. There was no longer any doubt about the adaptability of lucerne to New Zealand conditions, and iis ability to give large yields was already an established fact. Xo one should ever attempt to raise lucerne without haying first made a special study of lite subject. When once understood, however, lucerne could be easily grown. During (he past eight years he had watched closely the liekis of every lucerne grower in Marlborough, and he was more than ever convinced of the possibilities of this valuable fodder crop in .New Zealand, l'n the Dominion, farmers could just make a guess as to the feeding values of the different siock foods. In this connection, the lecturer weiu on io point out that lucerne, which was especially rich in protein content, was the most' valuable of all stock foods. As a pasture and soiling crop it had few. if any. equals and one of the ponds which especially recommended it was its rapid growth. Ii was also in certain foiui- vers valuable as fodder for calves. For racehorses it had also many recommendations. Soils subject lo flooding were not suitable for lucerne growing, but there were few place- ill XeW Zealand whore land could not be found on which to grow lucerne. Us deep-rooting habits enabled n io extract more food from the soil than other crops. Every prospective lucerne grower should see that he purchased only I lie seed of I lie broad leaf varielv and that ii .was carefully selected a „d 'thoroughly dean. Special lucerne manure and humus, if increased in the soil, would lead io the farm being richer and more productive. Mr Hint was accorded a hearty vote ol thanks for his address.