A LUCERNE EXPERIMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1893, 12 April 1913, Page 2

A LUCERNE EXPERIMENT.

MARLBOROUGH DISTRICT. In view of Manawatu's increasing attentiou to lucerne this year, the i following article from the Marlborough Express will be of interest: — The favour with whicn lucerne : has been regarded in the Marlborough district during the past two or three years is rapidly increasing. This kind of fodder plant is giving such excellent results locally, un der such varying conditions, that it has the prospect of commanding a very large area in the near future. . On all classes of land it has proved its superiority over the grass pastures, improving the producing and the carrying capacity to an extent that leaves no room for argument. Probably the severest test that lucerne has undergone in this district is in the case of dry, stony land suchas that in the vicinity of old Renwick road and Taylor river, where the best of grasses and clover grow but sparsely, even at the most favourable time of the year, and almost disappear in the winter and summer seasons. In localities of this descrip tion, lucerne properly sown and cultivated to enable it to strike its roots to an adequate depth, returns a weight of fodder and a quantity of seed that materially lessens the very wide original values of those parts and the first class land lower down on the plain. Bare, withered patches have thus been converted into green, waving pastures, with a constant supply of stock. One object lesson in the possibilities of lucerne growing is afforded by a piece of stony land at the top of Maxwell road. This piece of land—a ridge of shingle with hardly any oil in it—used to be regarded as practically impossible from a producer's point of view. A few years ago Mr Smale tested it with lucerne, and it now responds every season with a quite luxuriant growth, capable of a number of cuts each year. The land is no better than hundreds and thousands of acres in the Taylor river region, a large part of which in its present state is not much better than a barren waste. One other lucerne experiment in which Mr Smale is interested is worthy of mention. He acquired recently a property of about 70 acre# to the east of the Riverlands racecourse, and about 45 acres of it haa been sown with lucerne. The land, being near the sea, is salty, and the question has been whether lucerne would find soil of this ohracter congenial. There is a large area of this description in the direction of the sea, and the enterprise possesses a direct interests for several property owners. It is satisfactory to see that the king of fodder plants has been equal to the occasion. One plot of some 17 acres devoted to lucerne two years ago has a strong, even growth, and has yielded a large stack of hay of considerable value, I besides affording a good deal of grazing. In addition, the crop is now bearing a promising show of seed, which should give a generous and profitable return. The plant having been well established, and resowing not being necessary, the 17 acres , should give still better results next year. The other 28 or 80 acres was sown} with lucerne last season, and over the main portion of this area the plant has had a favourable "strike. " Bare patches appear here and there, where, possibly, more stirring of the soil is required to defeat the salt but the evidences are that the lucerne will eventually hold its own over the whole area. Doing this, it will largely enhance the value of this quality of land. Lending, itself to both marsh land and dry shingle, lucerne as a means of levelling up the producing values of widely different classes of land without a rival. I