LUCERNE CULTURE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 457, 16 March 1909, Page 2

LUCERNE CULTURE

Those farmers who are growing lucerne experimentally may derive interest and probably profit by selecting from their plots for breeding purposes those individual plants which show tlie greatest cvidcnco of certain desired qualities. Two of the qualities for which lucerne is chiellv noted are its luxuriant growth and its resistance to drought. Both of these qualities may bo strengthened by brooding. Luxuriance of growth is apparent to every observer, but resistance to drought is less easily detected. One method, rather elaborate but very exact, depends on the uso of a special evaporimoter. This measures the speed at which moisture is transpired from the leaves. Work 011 these lines has already been conducted in America, with interesting results. It has been found that of two plants growing together, one transpired about twice as much per square centimeter of leaf surface as the other. That which transpired the least would be the best drought resistor. The glowing of lucerne seed commercially is regarded as a matter of some uncertainty and one requiring considerable skill and experience, liut the production of seed in small quantities experimentally in Now Zealand to secure improved strains could well be encouraged.