Wagner's Lathyrus Silvestris

Southland Times, Issue 11673, 2 March 1891, Page 4

Wagner's Lathyrus Silvestris

« The English journal Agriculture publishes a couple of p»get of information about the forage plant, a vetch, known as Lathy rat siivectris. Tbe latbyrus grows from 15 to 18 inckes in height or more, but is only in tbe experimental stage on accoutt of the d«>&rness »nd scarcity of the leede and y< nog plaatt, which are only to be Lad in very small quantities or limited numbers. The laibyrus nay be raised from seeds or plant*. Tfee ■eed is sold from 12 2s per Ib, and 501 b are required f->r an acre of land~or, i:j other word*, Lit s per acre is the cost — a price which is raiher prohibitory to most fxrmers, bat an acre of latbjrus yields from 2501 b in the second year to 7001 b per acre of eeed sub. ttqneatly. A farmer would do beat to be hii own ntdiaui w» w«w kqb nooup ua<

self his first outlay handsomely and with profit in time, 2601 b of seed representing L 525 in money Tbe ralesmeu claim for the plant that a farmer c»n realise by its employment a cl»-ar profit of L.25 a year per acre. Tbe latbyruß take*, however, iomf tim» to reach its full development and yield (about three years) whicb ii a point which tell* somewhat against it. The official bwedi»h report states that the seed sown in tbe spring of 1887 germinated well, yielding, however, do crop ; further, that the plants yielded in the summer, 1888, a fair crop of green fodder, but that latt gummn's crop of fodder, bay, and seed» had far surpassed all expectation?, the amount of green fodder cut from one acre having »xc»eded 18 tons, and that of t.«i 8001 b rer imperial statute »err. This, remember, in a cold northern latitude Accor.lii;g to tkestaementf publ shed the latbyrus thriven alike in hot and cold countrien — in every clime.in fact— and possesses the rare and invaluable properties of being iniecsible to frost or drought, and requiring little or no mtnare. Its roots are powerful and deep, »ad penetrate to the cUptb of from 20 to 50 feet to 100 and 180 feet, according to the nature of the soil and sub«oil, and the plant is said to le»t 70 years, so th*t much of the labour and f xpense of cultivation aDd manuring of the coil is avo ded — a great conridfration and navu gof jo nt-y. Now, unlike pncUy con.'frt-> and s m*- other urnner (iisntu wbiob have ia'ely been brought to public i.oticp, the latbyrus '8 said 'o b* ptda - uOie to farm nntm Is — ifeeep, cattle, horses, at.d pits — and to be easily eradicated from the soil.