LUCERNE

North Otago Times, Issue 13236, 6 March 1915, Page 2

LUCERNE

' { ' ITS VALUI! DUPING A DBY'' S • -. ■ SEASON. c lj (By W. S. Hill, iii the Journal of e ' Agriculture) ' i From when it.wns first demonstrate at tho Monmnhaki Experimental Far thnt ( Income docs not demand a speolall flats, its extended use in this comiti favourable environment, such ni alliivb , wna considered advisable as the pii eipnl means of supplementing pasture It Is only during the present sense that its great value ns a drought-iv sister lias been appreciated, A vis! to Marlborough at the present tini (I'ebrunry) would eoiivinec the moi captious critic that, lucerne stands alou . ns a green fodder crop in a dry Rensoi The whole countryside presents a burn up appearance except for 'the fields, c lucerne which relieve the eye.: lfei v and there the green patches iudioat ut where lucerne'is demonstrating its nbl M it.v under the most adverse conditions t I maintain/,r supply of succulent fodde ! for stock. Never before have th ,j- fanners.of the district.'been under th ~ necessity of grazing their lucerne-field ~ .so. bare. But little rain has fallen dui |t ing the past six months, yet'lucerne ha ;. stood the test, and is distinctly the bes 0 . asset at present, possessed by Mar ~ borough farmers. So great have bee . the demands on this crop for grazin I and for hay that the area shut up fo [ seed purposes has been necessarily n ~ duced. It is only on the rich alluvia river-deposit areas that the king of foil . der plants is clothed in his royal purpli „ There is no doubt that the experienc ut with lucerne in Marlborough and i „ other districts during this season wil t give a great' fillip to its extended usi (' Mnilhoroulig is specially favoured fo lucerne-growing in that good crops hav t . been established and have been grow; s for a general ion without the use o . either lime, inoculated soil, or arli . .ficiifl fertilisers, which are apparent! . essential in other parts. To what ex f tent the crop' would be benefited by th ~ use of these stimulants is practical!; unknown, Lucerne-growers on the vie 1 s alluvial Hats are for the most part con tent with present returns, Those at , tempting the culture of lucerne on th . less rich lands and the low hills inigh . benefit considerably by experiments ii . .this direction. The close proximity o . .unlimited quantities of good liiiiesron for agricultural purposes, as yet un s worked, is a great natural asset. Al , though the season has been the dries . on record, but few growers have ndoptci . dry-farming methods. Tho creation o , a soil-mulch on lucerne-fields after beiiij . cut or fed off would have greatly nug . mented the yield of numerous stands Al the present time many fields are, si , hard that it would be most difficult ti , stir the surface, , The climate of the Marlborough.pro , vince is peculiarly suitable for the pro I duction of farm and garden seeds, Ln , cerne seed of high purity and germinn . tion is grown. The crop produced a . Moumnhaki Experimental Farm fron , seed grown in Marlborough has beei , found to be superior to thiit growi \ from Hunter River seed. There, is n cruciferous weed, tin . rocket (Erucn sativ.a), which is prin cipally known ns a source-indicator ol . European, Asiatic, and American'' seed It is significant that this weed, allliougl ■ practically unknown to Marlborough lu cerne growers, has appeared in several plots sown with seed purchased in New Zealand, as Marlborough lucerne. A.' the crop produced bv this seed is two thirds the weight produced by Marl borough or Hunter River seed," the at tcntion of farmers is directed to tin point. This season much of the Marl borough seed will be placed on the mnr--1 ket in 50 lb. sealed bags, of which foiu •will go to the sack. An estimate as , to the yield of lucerne seed from Marl borough, based on a favourable .harvest is from .10,000 'lb. to 40,000 Hi. This will ho sufficient to sow an area of from iIOO to MOO acres. The practice of feeding lucerne ehafl to sheep during the winter months, of carried out by Messrs Adams Bros,, ol Blpiilipim, is economical as well as bein<| beneficial in maintaining s/dl-fertilitv* By means of self-feeders the sheep have lucerne chaff continuously before them, and the heavily stocked' fields greatly benefit by the top-dressing of the animal manure. The Marlborough opinion on lucerne may be best expressed by quoting Hie remarks of prominent farmers made during a recent visit to the district, Here nre n few of the opinions evpressed:— "Lucerne has stood to the farmer ns nothing else has done during this season," "Where 10 acres are in now 100 acres will be sown in the near future." "Lucerne is the only thing that is doing," "It is the kiirg of all plants; there Is nothing to compare'with it." "Lucerne has saved us this season." "The only green colour to lie seen for many miles is the hard-grazed lucerne.'' The above remarks can be endorsed by almosfevery one having a thriving patch of lucerne, This season lucerne is proving the salvation of many Hocks and herds. It gives promise of becoming the leading fodder in this country for the production of fat stock niid milk.