LUCERNE IN THE WAIRARAPA.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 20 January 1921, Page 39

LUCERNE IN THE WAIRARAPA.

A SUCCESSFUL STAND AT KAHUTARA.

F. E. WARD,

>, Instructor in Agriculture.

One of the most successful stands of lucerne in the Wairarapa is that of Mr. J. Carne Bidwill, at Kahutara, on the eastern side of the lake. A few years ago Mr. Bidwill, realizing the great value of lucerne as a green fodder and as hay, set aside a paddock of 20 acres with the intention of getting it ultimately into lucerne. The soil of the paddock is a dark friable loam with a loose subsoil a typical lucerne soil. Drainage is mainly carried out by means of deep open drains, the water in these being at a depth of about 6 ft. A certain number of tile drains have also been laid in the wettest parts.

The paddock was ploughed and cropped with swedes in the first place. A crop of oats was grown, and harvested in January, 1913.The stubble was ploughed in and barley was sown in the early autumn. This barley was fed off with sheep during the winter, and was then allowed to grow till it reached the height of about 9 in., when it was ploughed in for green manure. In September burnt lime was applied at the rate of 1 ton per acre and the ground again ploughed. During the period which elapsed between this ploughing and the sowing of the lucerne the weeds were kept in control by means of the tine harrows, which were put over the ground several times.' Just prior to sowing the land was rolled with a Cambridge roller, and inoculated soil was applied at the rate of ij cwt. per acre. This was harrowed in, and the seed-bed finally prepared with the roller. Sowing was carried out in November with the Marlborough variety, at the rate of 15 lb. per acre. The seed was mixed with 2 cwt. of basic slag, and the mixture

sown, practically broadcast, through the manure-box of a drill with the coulters removed. The seed was covered with a cross-stroke of the roller.

Four cuts have been taken from the stand each season since the year of its establishment. After every cut the crop has been harrowed with sharp-pointed tine harrows. Two years ago a Berger lucernecultivator was put over the stand twice to eradicate grass and weeds

which had established themselves, and it is intended to repeat this operation each year, as it was distinctly beneficial. In the autumn of 1916 the stand was top-dressed with carbonate of lime at the rate of 1 ton per acre. On account of unsettled weather and the presence of weeds, &c., in spring, the first cut is usually made into ensilage, while the subsequent cuts are converted into hay. The yield for twelve months from the 20 acres in 1919-20 was 100 tons of ensilage and 100 tons of hay. The price obtained for the ensilage was £7 per ton and for the hay £9 per ton, this showing a gross return of £1,600 from the 20 acres. The cutting of the crop is now done with a special Albion mower, which has an 8 ft. cut. Although this is nearly double the ‘cut of an ordinary mower, two horses draw the implement easily, the draught apparently being very little greater than that of a 4 ft. 6 in. mower. •

The success of the stand is due in no small degree to the care of Mr. D. K. Cameron, Mr. Bidwill s manager, who has seen to the details of the work and has carried them out in accordance with the Department’s advice. Mr. Bidwill was so satisfied with the result of this lucerne stand that he put down elsewhere on the farm another 15 acres which is now in its second year and doing very well.