LOTUS "MAJOR."

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1402, 11 September 1923, Page 6

LOTUS "MAJOR."

IT'S HAUNTS AND HABITS. AN EXCELLENT FODDER. Lotus Major, or Giant Birdsfoot Thefoil, is the big brother in the genus "Lotus," of the order, "Leguminosae." In writing about the lotus family, Benthain and Hooker in their book on British Flora state:— , "In meadows and pastures, whether spread over Europe, Russian and Central Asia, the East Indian, Peninsula and Australia, but not reaching the Arctic Circle. Abundant al'l over Britain. It is a very variable species, accommodating itself to very different stations and climates; and some of the. races appear so permanent in certain localities as to have been generally admitted as species, but in others they run s,o much into one another as to the absolutely indistinguishable." In this country "Lotus Major" is a very definite species and fills a most important role. Its long clinging stems and bright yellow flowers are familiar sights along many roads in Southland. Generally speaking this member of the great legume family prefers damp, shady spots and for

many years we were inclined to the belief that it would not succeed under any other conditions. To-day, however, we can fully subscribe to the remarks quoted previously because Lotus Major has become established in New Zealand, from the North Cape to the Bluff. Probably one of the greatest values attached to Lotus Major is its capacity to grow in wet swampy places and along water courses where other grasses cannot, hold on. There are many such places in Southland that wave only waste lauds until Lotus Major was introduced, with the result that now they are fairly good grazing areas. On the other hand, we are advised that Lotus Major is succeeding splendidly in some of tbe lightest and driest of our land. No matter where, and no matter under what conditions almost, it may be sown, it does not appear long before Lotus is firmly established. When it is a case of establishing this plant on a piece of swamp it is perhaps the best plan to spread by hand a few pounds of seed at the head of the swamp and near the water. For the first year or two progress will be slow and there will not be a great lot of Lotus appearing, but a close inspection will probably reveal the fact that there is plenty of it there and as it seeds it is carried down stream to be deposited along the banks lower down, and so between the water and windborne seed there is a general spread of Lotus Major until it dominates. Cattle will travel any distance to get at this swamp grown Lotus. When adding Lotus Major to a permanent pasture mixture from 2 to 41bs of seed per acre is ample. The seed usually has a high germinating capacity, as high as 95 per cent., and being so small and regular, there are many thousands of seed to lib so that it does not require a heavy seed ing to allow Lotus Major to become the dominant species.

We have no definite information regarding the feeding value of Lotus Major as compared with other members of the legume order, but it is quite a safe thing to say that it has a very high feeding value and is extremely palatable to stock. It is quite permanent in Its habit and has taken a good -hold in Southland s,o that there need be no hesitation in sowing it out here. In the Journal of Agriculture for June, 1923, Mr E. Bruce Levy states that "Auckland grown Lotus Major is likely to contain dodder and lotus hispidus." Great care should be exercised in buying Lotus Major seed from the north because of the risk of bringing in dodder. The other impurity lotus hispidus is not harmful, hut in comparison is a less desirable species than is Lotus Major so that no one wants to purchase the cheaper seed at the price of the dearer one. Dodder, however. is a dangerous parasite, which if once admitted might cause tremendous loss before it conk! be eradicated. The dodder would live on the lotus, or any other merrber of the legume order, and through its parasitic habit would rapidly destroy whole crops. There have been some very successful efforts made in Southland to harvest Lotus Major seed and there should be no difficulty in any intending growers " obtaining their requirements in local grown seed.