LUCERNE.

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1910, Page 3

LUCERNE.

■Mr Clifton, Director of Experimental Farms, has been turning his attention to the growth of lucerne at Moumahaki, and apparently has succeeded in growing good crops. In parts of America a Mr Joseph Wing has preached lucerne to a successful issue; but we do not know the constituent of the soil where it has succeeded. In Queensland it is i great stand-by, but there the soil is of a very rich character. In the Argentine alfalfa (Spanish for lucerne) is essential to the fattening of cattle. Mr Clifton thinks that if he is able tc prove that lucerne can be profitably grown, that it will solve the difficulty of a substitute for rape and turnips to fatten lambs; that is, if we find that with club-root, aphis,, and blight, the growth of these fodder crops become difficult and disappointing. Dr. Steblar, perhaps the best authority we have on grasses, says in his "Best Forage Plants": "Lucerne is to bs regarded as . the most important i'ocicler in Southern Europe, because it

[ thrives and is very productive in warm • climates and on dry soils, where red ■ clover would be quite dried up. It can . be cut earlier in spring than red clover, and from three to five good cutting may be taken in the year. The weather affects it little. Its fodder is very suitable for stall-feeding during summer. The well-being and prosperity of many districts depend entirely on this plant. As Springe 1 re. marks: 'What would be the condition of the greater portion of the Palatinate if it had not lucerne?' The duration of lucerne varies from three to twenty years, and depends upon the -nature of the soil and climate. Where the soil is deep and warm, fields of lucerne from twelve to fifteen years old are quite common. Some fields are in their 20th or even their 25th year and still the plants are good. If the conditions are unfavourable the plants usually die out within a period of three years. Cultivation is. only profitable when a lay of five or six years' duration can be relied on. At the end of the lay the land is broken up and a cereal crop follows. As a general rule it can recur on the same land only after a period of rest equal in duration to the lucerne lay. This interval of time, however, depends largely upon the nature of the subsoil: If it is good, the crop may recur sooner. . . . . . It occurs as an escape from cultivation especially on wancalcareous soils. ... In the lower Engadine it is cultivated at a height of 5000 feet. There it succeeds vevy well, and two cutting can be taken in a season. For successful cultivatior j lucerne requires a warm climate ami, i a warm exposure, it therefore thrives best in the maize and vine regions. . It withstands drought better than other leguminous plants Wet weather does it more injury than (drought: In a wet season, therefore, the crop is not so good as usual. If the district has a heavy rainfall the plant does not thrive at all. It may. in fact, be assumed, that lucerne cannot be successfully grown wherever the rainfall exceeds 32 or 36 inches, even though the soil is suitable in other respects The great essential for the successful growth of lucerne is a good subsoil —not too compact—into the depths of which the roots may easily penetrate in all directions. . . . The surface soil is of slight importance; it matters little whether it is heavy or light, but the subsoil must be good. A large amount of lime is another requisite. Accordingly, lucerne thrives best on soils and subsoils rich in this constituent, namely ,on loamy and sandy marls, and on caicareous and clay marls. It also grows well on loams and clays with a permeable subsoil, and even on sands with a good subsoil containing lime. On soils resulting from the weathering of calcareous rocks, it is equallj successful, if the subsoil is well decomposed, or well broken up; but i' the subsoil is too solid or rocky the plant cannot be grown. If the soil is good and sufficiently deep, even though the subsoil be gravelly, the plants prosper. On clays with a stiff impermeable subsoil, as well as on vary wet land, the plant becomes diseased., and soon perishes." It will be seen that only in favoured spots can lucerne be grown successfully. But we have no doubt there are many districts where it could be profitably grown, and we hope that Mr, Clinton will persevere with his trials

We think that he must extend the scope of these experiments, and make arrangements to give demonstrations through the co-operative experimental plots, so as to find out which soils and climates are suited for its growth. We have seen several fairly successf'i , .] experiments already with this valuable forage plant. But they have not s been down long enough to speak conclusively about them.

There is another point of some importance as far as lambs are conjcerned: Will they fatten on it wif.hout injury to the plant? It does not stand feeding so well as some other plants; although we should expect that lambs would not injure it in the same way as grown up sheep, especially if it was not fed close, and the stock often changed. Ft will be interesting to hear how it succeeds in this particular. A fodder that might be tried is the growth of peas for fattening lambs. In some portions of the U.S.A., are grown over a large area for this purpose, and lambs are said not only tc fatten very well on them, but to be firmer in the flesh than when fattened on more succulent fodder. We should therefore very much like to see 'lie c:: periment made as to whether they would do well in New Zealand for this purpose. There is no doubt that a season such as last is enough to scare any farmer who fattens lambs for a living; bat the greater variety of fecu which can be grown for this pur peso, the less danger will there be of being caught by a dry season.