WILD LUCERNE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21349, 25 November 1932, Page 3

WILD LUCERNE

A VALUABLE FODDER

The virtues of wild lucerne are mentioned by Mr. Thomas Gawn, of Nerang, Queensland, and formerly of the Clutha district., Otago, in a letter received in Auckland last week. Wild lucerne, Mr. Gawn says, should establish itself well on any land in the Auckland Province and does not need cultivating or pampering. Wild lucerne (stylolanthes mucronata), also known as Townsville lucerne, is believed to bo a native of the West Indies, lie continues. It is of high "food" value, owing to its protein content, and the increased growth it should give on grazing areas should be of the highest value. It will grow on any soil, no matter how poor, but will do extra well on sandy soils. Being a legume it improves the soil for future crops. It establishes itself easily, a light scattering of the seed—mixed with sand or sawdust to secure a better distribution—and subsequent heavy stocking to prevent the other pasture plants from smothering the young lucerne, being the only steps needed to ensuro a successful strike.

The time to sow, Mr. Gawn writes, is in November and' December. It comes away with the first subsequent rains and develops to the seeding stage about June, when it dies off and comes up tenfold in tho spring from the seed left in the ground. It is almost impossible to keep the plant from seeding, no matter how heavily the pasture is stocked. It throws a rich herbage when young, but stock is also fond of it when it is drying off or when it has been wilted slightly. Mr. Gawn concludes that an analysis by a Government analyst showed that the plant was equal in feeding value to ordinary lucerne.