THE SOIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 6 April 1915, Page 1

THE SOIL

I LUCERNE. .' _ :. v ". \ SOME RUAKURA EXPERIENCE.. No move convincing of the value of lucerne ae a drought-resist-ing forage could be provided than that afforded by the Ruakura Farm of Instruction this season. A useful rain had not been experienced from the 24th and 25th July to the 29th January. Light showers had certainly fallen in this lone interim, but they had practically no effect on the parched soil, the moisture being rapidly dissipated by the drying •winds which invariably The pastures, even in the usual period of maximum growth—the spring months of the year—were of poor feeding-value, and with the advent of summer they become of comparatively little use for the maintenance of stock. The nine acres of "lucerne which the farni fortunately possessed proved an effective substitute for the burnt-up pastuies. For i about five months 150 head of stock, of which 80 were milking-cattle, were kept in a profitable condition by feeding out the lucerne, which flourished under the unprecedented conditions. But for this' , the reserves of chaff would have had to ,be drawn upon. As it was, the drought had little appreciable effect on the proniearning power of the stock., In addition to the dairy herds, young cattle .and pigs have been fed the lucerne -with the very best results, while chaffed lucerne has represented a third of the morning mash for the poultry and provided green food for the nirds throughout the day. The poultry supply is taken from a ftourisning plot on the poultry section, a > Slot which, like the field areas of lucerne, ' as laughed at the drought., . s The Ruakura appreciation of -lucerne is indicated by 'the fact that the area being devoted to lucerne has been increased from nino to 26 acres. - ■ At the present time the crop of' the final nine acres is l just showing up in the finely worked seed-bed. / On the principal lucerne-field—land .reclaimed from a poor- kahikatea swamp, a harsh pipeclay quite devoid of humus —one small portion was found to be'not doing so well as the main area; After • the fourth cut had been taken off the] field the weed-eradicator (illustrated'in' the "Journal," on page 596, June, 1914) was taken over the .weak patch four times, tearing up the weeds, and'disturbing the lucerne. Within a fortnight —rain 4iavingy been experienced in the meantime—the effect was almost magical, a fine cjean growth having come awayj making rit difficult to believe that a few weeks before weeds -wore fighting jj,hft .lucerne for possession of ihe. eoiL'--' '»■' • | With such a. demonstration as this-he- »•, fore them' it is difficult, to understand '.' why farmers, especially "in distracts - ject to £lry spells, do not grow lucerne'. If the plant does require a soil sweetened by 'lime, and possibly' made more • suitable for the purpose by the addition • of inoculated soil, free of weede, and demands special care in its initial stages of growth, the crop is a permanent one, furnishing a' practically constant supply of the highest quality of feeding-ma-terial of special value when pastures and other crops fail. Whore the abundanceof green feed which.]uccrne will furnish is not required at the time .it may be ■ converted into hay,, and lucerne pro;. vides the best-known material for this purpose j cfr it may be made into eilage t In this case it ds advisable to we some . dry with the ' meadow-grass, or such a crop as maize at a stage hearing "maturity. sThus, the farmer having a good lucerne-field may- ; always have green food for his stock," and a supply of either the best of all ■ hay or <■ silage, making him quite inde- • pendent of .adverse weather-conditions. —From "Tho Journal of Agriculture."