LUCERNE AND DROUGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18584, 17 December 1923, Page 13

LUCERNE AND DROUGHT.

FAMOUS TEST RECALLED. Owing to doubts expressed as to the authenticity of what is spoken of as the " Gatenby sheep feeding test," The Leader, in response to inquiries for the exact particulars, thus recalls the circumstances in which the interesting experiment originated:— a meeting of theForbes Agricultural Society, New South Wales, held ■ during their annual show in August, 1902, Mr.- Gatenby, of Jemalone, in an address alluded to the terrible drought-and i& devastations within that district- and the State generally. He spoke of the value of irrigation, and urged that every station should have; its irrigated patch .of greater or lesser extent; that with even 200 acres of lucerne sheep owners might save their studs and best sheep to the number of 15,000 through the summer months. ■ The - Minister of Agriculture, who was 'present, "was Btruck by the force of the assertion, while others openly derided the statement, v Subsequently the Minister asked if Mr. fJatsnby could prove what he had said, and Mr. Gatenby replied that he would prove it by sustaining without deterioration for a period of four months at least 75 sheep for each acre of lucerne, and f invited the Minister to send >- a representative to the station. Upon this the test was begun and carried out under the supervision of. a representative of the Department of Agriculture. In October, 1902, a paddock of lucerne containing 22£ acres was handed over for experiment. That there had been no provision made beforehand is shown by the-fact that just previously to this a flock of 550 sheep had been depasturing on this paddock, and for the purpose of obtaining uniform and successive growth 10 acres of irregular, herbage had to he cut and carted off the ground. Two flocks of sheep, mixed sexes and all ages, one of merinos and the other cfessbreds, were brought "in from a back >. station, where they -were existing under starving drought conditions. Five hundred apd., sixty-two sheep from eiicb r of these flocks were put into two v separate paddocks of .SO acres each, and •a • mixed flock •of the , same num- ! ber put .intosa"' similar third paddock.'? Neither lot had the slightest sign of edible vegetation' within their enclosure, except what was given to them from the time they went in. The merinos were generally in fair store condition. Many of the crossbred sheep were so weak that they «oould hardly . crawl, but they were retained and included in 5 the test from the consideration that, such sheep ' would,, probably be : foiled , on | any station in time v. of drought. All | the sheep had been recently rsnorn, by machine. The need of suitable shade and j shelter, added to tank water, was severely felt by tho sheep in December and January, when intense he»t, hot . winds and dust storms were, the rule. s The lucerne test paddock was . divided into seven lands, ana each made its suc-\ cessive growth ready for cutting in about 35 days, giving frequently 10 and 12 tons of green food per acre. This was cut daily and card out to the sheep iwjee each day, thus "giving each of the 7 1685 sheep two lots of nice fresh food daily. After cutting, these lands were irrigated, each as early as convenient, by the time tho seventh land .was cut - the first one was always ready ; again. The total, loss -by death wasi only one sheep. At the end of February, 1903, the sheep were generally in good health' and doing well, had a good growth of clean, bright wool, and had gained over 31b. in weight per sheep; while the • lucerne paddock contained as much food for cutting. when the test commenced, that is, including about six tons of hay taken from the land and held in reserve. The test had been against the sheep at every point from the beginning, as Mr. Gatenby desired the test should be as crucial as possible,'being confident that under normal conditions he could do more thi>n he had stated of feed" ing 75 sheep per acre. >.