LUCERNE GROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18762, 16 January 1923, Page 6

LUCERNE GROWING

MARVELLOUS RESULTS OBTAINED. From on interview with some of the members of the Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee, much valuable information was obtained regarding the national wor.-c in which they are engaged, to unite all interests in a campaign for the general growing of lucerne. At the present time the press, leading, Politicians, and prominent business men am •Tessing the fact that the most vital pro--1 leni is the immediate need for increasing i reduction of the primary products of tha ( ouiitry, if we are to progress, meet our inabilities, lighten taxation, give employment, expand our secondary industries, and I rovido for increased immigration. In this connection, the Lucerne Campaign Commit’oe claims that it has already solved the ; roblcm, and is now demonstrating beyond I shadow of a doubt that not only can the heavy and medium lands be quickly brought |o accomplish this, but the light and shingly I mds can be speedily made to increase production largely and that at a comparatively ■mall initial and annual cost. It is pointed ■>ut that within the last few years, by following the system of lucerne culture which ihe committee advocates, medium and heavy ! ands can be brought to produce within 10 :o 12 weeks from time of sowing the seed, heavy crops of lucerne, with an ever-increas-ing annual yield afterwards without deterioration. by first liming the land, applying inocculated soil, drilling the seed in rows ufficiently wide apart to admit of interlillage, and intertilling between the rows after each cut is taken. Amongst many are instanced the areas sown by the Woolston Tanneries Company, near Woolston railwaystation, Messrs W. Bowels and L. Banks’s fields at Shirley, and that of A. J. Rawstrow, Lincoln road, which now —at 11 weeks from time of seeding—has produced a heavy crop ready to cut. Of poor, light, shingly soils an example is furnished by the areas put down on the Prison Farm near Templeton. Where previously one sheep was carried now 15 to 20 aro being grazed, not for one year but for five years up to the present. On the demonstration areas at Templeton, Bankside, Ashburton, and Darfield, on light lands, which are constantly before the public eye, lucerne hay or grazing has boon produced equivalent to an increase in carrying capacity oi from 300 to 500 per cent.

Another well known instance may be given of increased carrying capacity of lucerne on light lands, where at Medbury, North Canterbury, Mr James Heasley, it is stated, now carries quire seven sheep to tho acre annually. When areas on the poor, light, and shingly lands of Canterbury distributed se widely apart as those are, have proved capable of such increased production, there can be no valid reason for delay or hesitation on tho part of occupiers of similar lands in following on. the same lines. Further, it is universally demonstrated throughout tho world that the growing of lucerne does not impoverish but enriches the. land, and this without the aid of any application of manures or fertilisers during the period of its growth, so that land sown to lucerne and the plant properly treated, has its value increased annually. Tho lucerne areas along tho railway lino and at Darfiold are an illuminating illustration of this. Although now in their sixth year of crop production, they show no deterioration, but on the contrary are undoubtedly producing more lucerne fodder than at any former period, and also an annual production far beyond similar lands in the neighbourhood in any other crop, doped annually with manures. Amongst manyother instances the 180 acres in lucerne at the Prison Farm are worthy of mention. Although the greater part is now jn its sixth year of production there is no falling away in crop yields. The success of lucernegrowing at this Government institution has been so phenomenal that a very large area is to be sown to this crop next season. A question as to how these demonstration areas on tho railway reserve and Darfield originated, elicited a reply that as far back ns 1916 it was noticeable that the agricultural and pastoral industries of Canterbury wore retrograding, and Mr A. MacPherson, in 'an interview with tho late Hon. W. D. S. M’Donald, then Minister for Agriculture, suggested lucerne growing as a means of improving matters. The root crops had been for a number of years failures, and tho pastures had not been renewed as they should, and were becoming weed infested. Mr MacPherson suggested that were, areas of light railway reserve land secured from Christchurch southwards some miles apart, and sown to lucerne, the farmer would learn how this could be grown, and these light lands could be brought to produce equal to what the heavy lands were then doing under the farming methods practised. To this the Minister consented. The areas were secured by the field division of tho Agricultural Department in 1917, shortly after tho Lucerne Campaign Committee was formed by the IV.E.A. Naturally, tho Lucerne Campaign Committee was very much interested in these areas, and inspected and reported on them from time to time. So impressed was Mr VV. D. S. McDonald with the results that ho asked the committee not to publish tho success mat was being secured from lucerne growing on light lands, as it would tend to raise the price of such lands which the Government was trying to purchase as cheaply as possible for returned soldier settlements. Ho also asked the committee if it could delay starting tho intended competitions until the soldiers had returned and settled on the farms, so that they would have an opportunity of entering the competitions. To this the committee agreed and did not resume until 1921. When those areas were initiated it was during tho war time when labour was scarce and Mmost unobtainable, and material was also dear. All the areas, however, were successfully established, although owing to scarcity of labour they had not the atten tion they should have had. The implements required for carrying on tho work had also to be railed long distances from one plot to the other, as no suitable appliances were obtainable in any of the districts. This, of course, militated against the proper working of the areas for th% first two or three years. In the spring of 1920, although labour was more plentiful, and from then on to last autumn, these areas did not receive the attention they should have done. The committee complained to the Government of the neglect of these areas, and as the departmental officers reported that tho areas were failures, it took action to secure the control of them. ' Tho committee was satisfied that the apparent failure was due to the neglect that the areas had received during the last two 1 years. The department agreed to hand the areas over to the committee, and since August, 1922, they have been under its control. When handed over, the areas were in a shocking condition l being very badly weed-infested, especially in the rows, and required extra working to get them clean. Opportunity was taken of tills to demonstrate to farmers how these weed-infestea areas could be cleaned up and reestablished. Field days were held at Templeton, Ashburton, aim Darfield, each of the demonstrations being well attended by farmers, who had the opportunity of seeing in operation the special implements suitable for doing the work by horse labour cheaply and efficiently. All the areas were top-dressed with lime, and the good results of the work and limedressing have been, very apparent, and fully proved by the wonderful growth of lucerne produced in the first two cuts. In fact, the transformation that has taken place in the past few months is almost beyond comprehension, and, as one of our leading agriculturists remarked on one of the field days, is was an eye-opener, and could not be believed without being seen. Another prominent agriculturist said “the results wore marvellous and beyond any conception.” , ,

As already stated, those areas are now in the sixth your of their production, and are producing" better crops now than in anv previous year, riroving that they have fulfilled the purpose for which which were initiated—namely, that the light, shingly lands in Canterbury could bo brought to produce equal to what the best lands are now doing under ordinary farming methods. In tho lucerne-growing competitions inaugurated by the Lucerne Campaign Com mittee in the spring of 1921, and now in full swing throughout the province, great interest is being taken by farmers. Fiftyone entries were received for these competitions. There are throe competitions, according to the classification of soil. No. 1 is for medium and heavy soils. No. 2 for shingly and poor light soils; and_ No. 3 for loams with a clay subsoil. Irrigated lands, and lands that had been dressed with farmyard manure or artificial fertilisers, with the ex-

(-option of lime, within six months of date of starting the competition, or subsequently during dates of competition, were barred. Competing areas required to bo five acres in extent. Competitors were permitted to sow the seed broadcast or otherwise. The competing fields are widely distributed all over the province, and are already a source of great educational value, particularly those which have been sown on commonsense lines, and are bringing homo to farmers convincing proof as to which system of lucerne culture is the best. The competitions will close on March 31 next. The work of judging is arduous, as each crop as it matures hits to be fudged, and the w-eight of the fodder taken. Already t «o crops have been judged on each farm.

and the third cut is fast maturing in. all competing' areas except whore the seed was sown broadcast or drilled in Tin rows: these have not yet matured a cut of sufficient merit to be worthy of being weighed, whereas all fields where the seed was drilled in rows from 14in to 28in apart and have been inter-tilled, have already produced two cuts and give promise of two and in some cases three more cuts before the close of the season. The most outstanding of the competing areas at present, which are well worthy of an inspection by prospective lucerne growers, in the respective districts beginning in South Canterbury, are: At Morven, E. S. Marshall has a field of eight acres drilled in 22in rows. At Esk Valley, St. Andrews, A. Pye has five acres sown info 26in rows. At Landsboro. near Timaru, J. C. King and Gordon King have each an area, in 21in rows on clay downs, giving excellent results, and disproving completely the theory that lucerne would not grow on such subAt Timaru, E. I. Washbourne, on land with a clay sub-soil, sown in Grimm a lucerne in 28in rows. At Southerland, A. J. Clellancl, on clay aub-soilland in 14in rows. At Raincliffe, E. J. Gould, on medium soil in 22in rows. At Pleasant Valley, Geraldine, S. Gale, in 22in rows. At Olandeboye, Tomuka. J. J. Nolan and J. G. Barry have each five acres in 21in rows. . At Island Home, Rangitata, R. Brodio, in 21in rows. At Penseonoft, Ashburton, A. Niohol, heavy land, in 21in rows. At Waikanui, Ashburton, A. Hillyer, on loam with clay sub-soil, in 14in rows. M‘Dowell Bros., on heavy land, in 14in rows. At Prebbleton, D. Ellwood and H. Ellwood, each an area, one broadcast, the other in 21in cows. At Templeton, the Prison Farm, two acres, one on medium land in 21iu rows, and one on light shingly soil 21in rows. At Sockburn, Dixon Bros, and C. Wellsford, each an area, medium land, 21in rows. At Coutts’ Island, J. Goss, 21in rows. At Ohoka, C. S. Thomas and S. R. Craig, each an area on light, shingly soil, 21in rows. At Harewood Road, Papanui, G. Shipley, two areas on medium, and light and shingly soils, broadcast. On Coldstream Road, Rangiora, 0. Barker, on medium land, 14in rows. At Islington, J. G. Sutherland, in 2Hn rows These areas, if well looked after and thoroughly worked, will become prominent demonstration areas scattered over the whole Province, and object lessons of great value which cannot but help to greatly increase interest in the growing of lucerne and no doubt will result in very largely increased areas being sown in the future Several field days have been held in connection with the demonstration areas and the competition plots. In all cases the success of tha row and cultivation system lias been fully demonstrated. In fact, the only failures that were made were those which wore sown broadcast. In one or two instances. where the plots had not been properly inter-tilled, the neglect was clearly apparent, and in one particular instance—on more work being put into the plot —consider able improvement was at once manifest. An outstanding feature in tills season’s lucerne growing is the plot at the Burnham Institute. This poor land produced crops equal to any grown on good land, and shows clearly what can bo done with the poorer class light lands. The judging of the competitions was entrusted by the Campaign Committee to Mr A. MaePhorson. who is carrying out the work in association with local committees in the various centres. The South Canterbury Committee has been very enthusiastic, and the farmers are taking a very keen interest in that, district. Inquiries have been made from the committee regarding the planting of lucerne in the back country for the purpose of providing hay for wintering the hoggets, instead of removing them down to the low country, and it is contemplated that several large ureas will be sown this coming season. ' The committee, it will be noted, is carrying out a great national work, which will be reflected before long in increased production, prosperity, and the advancement of the welfare of the whole community.