PRAIRIE GRASS AND LUCERNE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1708, 27 March 1913, Page 8

PRAIRIE GRASS AND LUCERNE

■ FOE TEMPOEAEY PASTURE. ; With tho object of deciding tiie value 1 of prairie grass and lucerne as a temporary pasture in a crop rotation, an area of six acres at the Mouinahaki Experiment •Ji'arm has been laid down ' in tnis mixture. The land previously carried a crop of vetches and rye-corn, which, was cut and threshed for seed, after. which the paddock was ploughed. Reporting to headquarters, Mr. T. W. Lonsdale, manager of the farm,'says:—' i "In the autumn of last year the prairie . grass and lucerne was sown, 201b. of the; former and 101b. of the latter being, used, 'i'he crop came away well, and throughout the winter and • early spring it provided splendid feed for store sheep and owes and lambs. _ It was pastured till October, when it was closed for mowing. Alter developing a thick growth of about 2ft. it was made into hay, the growth representing a weight of ten tons, of. green material to the)acre. The .hay was anexcellent sample,. '.' A fortnight dfter stacking was completed thero.'was a heavy after-growth, which has been almost continuously grazed to the present time by' dairy stock. ißoth slieop arid cattle eat this mixture'with avidity,, and it is ap-. parently admirably suited for fattening and milk-production. It has been noticeable that when'the dairy cows were taken off this feed-and put. oil. to good pasture the milk-yield -'declined,' notwithsfanding that the pasturage was supplemented with ensilage carted out. After-the - prairie grass and lucerne had been.given a rest of several days in whicli. to .recover, 1 the milk-How rapidly increased on tho cows being returned to field. This mixture is definitely a temporary crop, and should not be expected to last more than ftwo years. At-Jlou'niahaki it has provideheavy feeding, for six months, and should ;be good for. at least another year. In' addition to this the heavy crop of hay was obtained. Though it is-desirable to utilise -the land for other, purposes when the wealth of-feed diminishes, the lucerne, of course, will continue to'make growth if nbt disturbed. But tho plougliing-iii of tie lticerne nnd prairie gras9 will undoubtedly enrich the soil, and provide a good seed-bed for subsequent crops, and ffiis'witli little manuring."