LUCERNE GROWING

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 13

LUCERNE GROWING

MARVELLOUS RESULTS OBTAINED. Fro-m an interview with some of the members of the Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee, much valuable information was obtained regarding the national work in which they are engaged, to unite all interests in a campaign for the general growing of lucerne. The Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee claims that not only can the heavy and medium lands be quickly brought to accomplish this, but the light and shingly lands can be speedily made to increase production largely and that at a comparatively small initial and annual cost. It is pointed out that within the last few years, by following the system of lucerne culture which the committee advocates, medium and heavy lands can be brought to produce within 10 to 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 sufficiently wide apart to admit of intertillage, and intertilling between the rows after each cut is taken. Amongst many are instanced the areas sown by the Woolston Tanneries Company, near Woolston railway station, 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 Eo 20 are 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 been produced equivalent to an increase in carrying capacity of 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 quite seven sheep to the acre annually. When areas on the poor, light, and shingly lands of Canterbury distributed so widely apart as these are, have proved capable of such increased production, there can be no valid reason for delay or hesitation on the part of occupiers of similar lands in following on the same lines. Further, it is universally demonstrated throughout the 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. The lucerne areas along the railway line and at Darfield are an illpmi nating 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 many other instances the IEG acres in lucerne at the Prison (arm are worthy of mention. Although the greater part is now in its sixth year of production there is no falling away m 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 bow these demonstration areas on the railway reserve and Darfield originated, elicited a reply that as far back as 1916 it was noticeable that the agricultural and pastoral industries of Canterbury were retrograding, and Mr A. MacPherson, in an interview with the 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 the pastures had not been renewed as they should, and were becoming weed infested. Mr MacPherson suggested that were areas cf 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 the Agricultural Department in 1917, shortly after the Lucerne Campaign Committee was formed by the W.E.A. Naturally, the Lucerne Campaign Committee was very much interested in these areas, and inspected and reported on them from time to time. So impressed was Mr W. D. S. M'Donald with the results that he asked the committee not to publish the success uiat 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. He also asked the committee if it could delay starting the 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. As already stated, these areas are now in the sixth year of their production, and are producing better crops now than in any previous year, proving that they have fulfilled the'purpose for which which were initiated —namely, that tike light, shingly lands in Canterbury could be brought to produce equal to what the best lands are now doing under ordinary farming methods.