LUCERNE-CROP COMPETITION.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XX, Issue 3, 20 March 1920, Page 143

LUCERNE-CROP COMPETITION.

This season a lucerne-crop competition was promoted by the Otakeho branch of the Farmers' Union, South Taranaki, in co-operation' with the Fields Instruction Branch. of the Department. The entries furnished particulars of the acreage, previous . crop, seeding, date sown, manure, lime, and inoculated soil (if any). For judging purposes the scoring was arranged under the following headings: Freedom 'from weeds, evenness of crop, quality of crop, and colour and general appearance maximum of io points for each,- or 40 in the aggregate. On 31st January last the writer and Instructor Glasson judged the competition. There were six entries, and about twenty-five members of the union turned out in motor-cars and accompanied us over each field. After judging each crop the number of points awarded under each heading was announced, and we had a short discussion before proceeding to the next field. This was repeated on each farm visited, and altogether a very profitable day was spent. The winning crop gained 35 points out of the possible 40, while, the others scored 30, 22, 21, 17, and 17 respectively. . It may be mentioned that the winning crop was the oldest (some three years) among those entered, and was the only one in the competition to which inoculated soil had been applied at the .time of sowing.-— J. W. Deem, Fields Instructor, Wanganui.

Dufur Orchard. name of the large orchard in Oregon, referred to on page 112 of last month’s Journal, is Dufur, not Deufar. . .

Limestones. Samples of limestone recently tested by the Chemistry Section gave the following percentages of carbonate of lime : Wharekopae, Gisborne-, 95 ; Marakanui, Central Otago, 93 ; Gladstone, Wairarapa, 90; Kara, North Auckland, 71 ; Martinborough, Wairarapa, 65 ; Hokianga, North Auckland, 62.