LUCERNE GROWING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16940, 15 January 1923, Page 9

LUCERNE GROWING.

STRIKING RESULTS OBTAINED. From an interview with some of tho members of the Canterbury .Lucerne Campaign Committee much valuable information was obtained regarding the national work they are engaged in to unite all interests in a campaign for the general gi owing of lucerne. At the present time the Press, leading politicians and prominent business men are stressing the fact that the most vital problem is the immediate need for increasing production of the primary products of the country if we are to progress, meet our liabilities, lighten taxation, give employment, expand our secondary industries and provide for increased immigration. In this connection the Lucerne Campaign Committee claim that they have already solved the problem and are now demonstrating that not only can the

heavy and medium lands be quiekb brought to accomplish this, but tin light and shingly lands can be epeedh made to mightily increase production and that at a comparatively smal initial and annual cost. They poin out that within the last few years b; following the system of lucerne culture which they advocate, medium am heavy lands can be brought to pro duce, within ten to twelve weeks iron time of sowing the- seed heavy crop annual yield afterwards without detevi oration, by first liming tho land, ap j plying inoculated soil, drilling th> seed in rows sufficiently wide apart t‘ | admit of intertillage, and intertilling 1 between the rows after each cut • taken. For example, amongst mam they instance tho well-known area sown by the TVoolston Tanneries Com pany. near TVoolston Railway Station .Messrs TV. Bowles’ and L. Banks’ field at Shirley, and that of Air A. J Rawstrom. Lincoln Road, which nowat eleven weeks from time of seeding - lias produced a heavy crop ready ti cut. On the poor, light, shingly soils the; instance the areas put flown on tir Prison Farm near Templeton. Wherpreviously one sheep was carried nov lo to 20 are being grazed, not for on year but for five years up to the pro sent. On the demonstration areas n Templeton. Bank-side, Ashburton, am Darfield. on light lands which are con stantly before flhe public eye, the; have produced annually in the past lucerne hay or grazing equivalent t< an increase in carrying capacity o from 300 to 500 per cent. Another well-known instance may given of increased carrying capacity »• lucerne on light lands, where at Med bury. North Canterbury, Mr Jame Heaeley, it is stated, now carries quit seven sheep to the acre annually. When areas on the light and siting! lands of Canterbury distributed swidely apart as these are. have prove capable of such increased production it is urged by the committee that, then can be no valid reason for delay o hesitation on the part of occupiers <> similar lands in following on the samlines. Further, it is demonstratethroughout the world that the growinj of lucerne does not impoverish but on riches the land, and this without tin aid of any application ol manures o fertilisers during the period of it growth, so that land sown to lucern< and the plan properly treated, has it value increased annually. v As an out standing fact the lucerne areas alon; the railway line and at Darfield ar< an illuminating instance of this where although now in their sixth yen of crop production they show no do terioration. but on the contrary an undoubtedly producing more lucerm fodder than at any former period, am also an annual production far beyom similar lands in the neighbourhood i; any other crops treated annually wit! manures. Amongst many other in stances the ISO acres in lucerne at th. Prison Farm is worthy of mention Although the greater part is now . its sixth vear of production there ■; no falling away in crop ' yields. Tin ernment- institution has been so phono menal that a very large area is to b« In the lucerne growing competition; inaugurated by the Lucerne Campaigr Committee in the spring of 1021. an< now in full swing throughout the pro Mnce. Great interest is being taken b\ farmers in localities where eompetitior fields are situated. Fifty-one entnej were received for these competitions There arc three competitions, accord mg to the classification o 1 soil. Ain 1 is for medium and heavy soils. No tor shingly and poor light soils, am No 3 for loams with a ■ la, sub-soil Irrigated lauds, and funds that htn been dressed with farm-yard manure oartificial fertilisers, with the exceptioi < Mime, within six months of date o quentlv during dates oi competition were barred. Competing areas are required to hi five acres in extent. Competitors an permitted to sow the seed broadcast o otherwise. The competing fields arwidely distributed all over the province and are already a source of great edu rational value, particularly those whiol 1 are been sown on common-sense lines j and are bringing home farmers con lucerne culture is the best. The coin petitions will close on March 31 next The work of judging is arduous, a: each crop as matures has to b» judged, and the weight, of the foddei Taken. Already two crops have bee: judged on each farm, and the, third cm is fast maturing in all competing area; except where the seed was sown broad cast or drilled in Tin rows; these hav< not yet matured a cut of sufficient merit to be worthv of being weighed whereas all fields where the seed wa< ('rilled in rows from 14in to 28in apar ami have been intei-tilled, have already pi educed two cuts and give promise o: two and in come coses three more cutbefore the close of the season. The most outstanding of the competins areas at present, and which are we! i worthy nf an inspection by prospective lucerne growers in the respective dis tricts beginning in South Canterbury At M’orven. E. S. Marshall has a fielc

King and Gordon King have each an . •-lea in 21 in rows on clay downs, girng excellent results, and disproving ] completely the theory that lucerne ; would not grow on such sub-soils. At Timaru, F. I. Washboume, on land with a clay sub-soil, sown in Grimm’s lucerne in 28in rows At Sutherlands, A. J. Clelland, on sub-soil 1 land in 14in rows. At Raincliffe, E. J. Gould, on medium soil in 22in rows. At Pleasant Valley, Geraldine, S. Gale, in 22in rows. At Clandeboye, Temuka, J. J. Nolan *J. G. Barry have each >s acres iu 21 in rows. At Island Home. Rangitata, It. Brodie, in 21 in rows. At Pensecroft. Ashburton. A. Nichol. 1 heavy land, in 21 in rows. At Wakavmi, Ashburton. A. Hillyer. i oi loam with clay sub-soil, in 14in rows McDowell Bros, on heavy land, in I 14in rows. Ac PrebblotOn, T). EH wood and h. i Elf wood, each an area, one broadcast, the other in 21in rows. A:t Templeton, the Prison 'Farm, j two areas. on- on medium lard in 21 i . j rows, and one on light shingly soil in 1 21in rows. At Sockburn,, Dixon Bro» and C. i TVel'lsford. each an area, medium land j ’-Min rows. At Coutts’ Island J. G’oss, 21in rows. I At Ohoka, C. S. Thomas and S. B j Craig, each an area on light shingly | coil, 21 in rows. At Harewood Road. Papnnui. G. ! Shipley, two areas on medium, light, j shingly soils, broadcast. On Coldstream Road, Rangiora. O j Barber, ton medium land, 14in rows. j At Islington, J. G. Sutherland, in i 21 in rows. These areas, if well looked after and J thoroughly worked, will become premiacut demonstration areas scattered over ■he whole province, and object lessons ' of great value which cannot but help to greatly increase interest in the growing of lucerne, and no doubt. i\ ill being sown in the future. Several field days have been held in connection with the demonstration areas, and tho competition plots; in ail tivation system has been fully demon strated. In fact the onlv failure?that were made were those vhi eh, were sown broadcast. In one or two instances where the plots had not teen properly inter-tilled, the neglect was clearly apparent: and in one particular instance— on mure work being put into the plot—considerable improvestanding feature in this season’s lucerne ] growing was the plot at tho Burnham Institute. This jxior land produced crops equal to any grown on good land and shows dearly what can'bo. done with tho poorer class light lands. The judging of tho competitions was i entrusted hv the Campaign (' mmitt,< to Mr A. MoePherson. who .s carrviiur ut the work in association with 1 committees in the various centres. The South ( anterburv Committee have been icrv enthusiastic, and the farmers in that district are taking a very keen interest. Inquiries have been made from the committee regarding the planting of lucerne in the back for the purpose of providing hay for wintering the hoagets, instead of removing them down to the low country end it is contemplated that several large areas will be. sown this coming