LUCERNE CULTIVATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1855, 15 September 1913, Page 10

LUCERNE CULTIVATION.

VALUE. AS A FERTILISING AGENT. Although it is only a comparatively few years since tho virtues of lucerne as a fodder plant received the serious attention ol agriculturists in this country, it lias been proved to the satisfaction of tho most sceptical that it is u most desirable plant to cultivate. From tho iield experiments which have already been undertaken it has been proved that lucerne can bb .grown with success on a great variety of soils, and under climatic conditions of wide variations. Fortified with these proofs, entiTiisiasts have been pressing the claims of this wonderful plant with increasing vigour overy year. Tho farmers have been well supplied with particulars of the immense yields of fodder which it product's, together with tho high percentage ,of rich feeding properties it contains in wbatevor form it is used for stock feeding. For this reason, probably, it has earned tho reputation of being, termed tho king amongst fodder crops. Invaluable as theso attributes nro, it would appear from recent investigations, that lucerne has another distinguishing virtue, which does not. Us itself so readily in the mind's eye, but which is, nevertheless, an important one. "While the plant is producing its visible wealth' on the soil surface, its penetrating roots and nitrogen-collect-ing peculiarities aro continually working to enrich tlio land on which it is grown. A plant yielding such large quantities of fodder as lucerne does would naturally lead to the supposition that to provide tho material a heavy drain must bo made on the soil fertility. Lucerne plants do requiro a large amount of plant food, but while other crops 'gather their food from a depth of from two to four -feet, lucerne gathers its food from depths ranging from six to twelve feet. It'has, therefore, three or four times tho depth of soil to feed from... This is an advantage, especially if tho upper part of the soil has been partly exhausted by previous cropping. Most of our cultivated plants depend wholly upon the nitrogen stored or applied to the soil for their needs; the lucerne plant docs this only in part, drawing a portion of its supply from tlio atmosphere. As its feeding-roots draw their supplies from below the depths at which ordinary crops feed, so this portion of tfft soil is practically resting while in lucernc. Many of tho plants dio out and rot. There is also, a considerable quantity of leaves which arc shed from tho crop at different periods;,. All this matter is ;roturnod:to tho. soil, niid enriches it in organic matter available for succeeding crops. Thd' addition of fertilising substances to the soil' which is effected by planting lucerne, is perhaps more strikingly- set forth by tho facts pertaining to the stubble. In a test made at tho Agricultural Experiment Station at Colorado recently tho stubblo of lucerne 'taken,'to a depth of CJ- inches weighed nearly six toil's, and contained over 361b. of nitrogen, equal to about 2151b. of nitrate of soda, in addition to 8 l-31b. of phosphoric aeid, and loilb. of potash." The lucerne roots, however, reach a depth of txvelvo feet," and even more. . On this account tho root system may bo credited with at least twice as much nitrogen and other fertilisers as is found.in tho stubble taken from a depth of 64 inches. Tho efforts of Mr. Clifton, the Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, who has always been a porsistent advocate of the growing of luecnic in New Zealand, arc now- being rewarded in the gonuino -interest which is being displayed by farmers in tho cultivation of small areas of tho plant. It appears highly probable that within a fow years 110 dairy farm will be considered properly furnished unless a portion is reserved for luccrne.

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