LUCERNE CULTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16782, 11 July 1922, Page 9

LUCERNE CULTURE.

PROGRESS LEAGUE DEPUTATION.

At a meeting of th© Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee a deputation from the Progress League, comprising Messrs G. H. Holford and P. R- Olimie, attended for th© purpose oi proposing that a committee representative of the various institutions interested in rural matters should be appointed to report oil the systems of lucerne culture practised in Canterbury. Mr Holford said there was a good deal of diversity of opinion between the Agricultural Department and others and the Lucerne Campaign Committee regarding the best method of growing lucerne. It was a pity that this should be so, and it had been suggested by a number of farmers and others that it would be a good, thing if a small committee representative of the Farmers’ Union, tho Agricultural and Pastoral Association. the Progress League and th© Lucerne Committee could be appointed to collect all the available evidence and issue a report for tho guidance of farmers. He did not dispute that lucerne could be grown on light land in Canterbury, but it was another question if it could be grown profitably. A report in this respect would be valuable to farmers. Air Olimie said that going through j t-lie country he bad met a number of : farmers who were opposed to lucerne, and there wa,s a wide difference of opinion amongst- various authorities as | to the best methods of growing it. If I this difference could be removed it j would give a great impetus to the euli tivation oi this wonderful fodder plant, i Representations had been made to the j Progress League with this object, and ; the league was willing to help iu any way it could. He complimented tlu* Lucerne Committee on ihe good work it ; was undertaking. and especially Air ; Alacpherson, who was putting a great • ! amount of work into the campaign, j He hoped that th© ©fleet of it would he j j enhanced by a unanimous policy in re- j : gard to the methods of cultivation. The chairman (Air J. Longton) said j ; that there wore fifty odd farmers with j ! areas in the competition, and these j i would prove much better than any j committee tho best method of growing ! the plant. In addition the committee ! was taking over the railway demonstraj tion and the Da-rfield areas for two ! years, and the condition of these as time went ‘on would prove which were . iho bettor methods on light land. i Mr Alacpherson said that some time ago the Progress League issued a pamj phlet in which lucerne was described as an “agricultural misfit.” Air Holford said that this reference was to soils unsuitable for lucerne, and to whether it was commercially profitable to grow it on such soils, not to whether lucerne was a. valuable fodder 7>lanfc. It was thie point of cost that farmers wanted information about. Mr Maepherson said that it was satie- | factory to have the misfit” suggestion j withdrawn. It had also been stated j that two farmers had lost hundreds of : pounds through following his expert advice regarding the culture of lucerne. Ho had seen these two farmers and both had denied following his advice, yet no retractic-n of the published statement had been made. The trouble frequently was that somebody came along posing as an authority and gave advice that gonerally ended in trouble for the grower. The deputation was thanked for the offer of assistance from the league, which would I>o of value when field inspections came around. After its withdrawal tlie question of the appointment of a committteo was discussed. It was stated that some, of the present teachings of tho Agricultural Department differed so much from what experience in Canterbury had shown to be advisable on light land and which had been discarded by the committee, that it would bo difficult to find a common j ground on -which to work. Tt was decided to thank th© Progress* League for its offer of assistance and to accept the same, but that the committee could not see what valuo the appointment of a committee as suggested would be. The Alinister of Agriculture notified that the Railway Department had consented to the handing over of the railway areas, and it was decided to proceed with the inter-cultivation forthwith.