LUCERNE ON GRAVEL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2718, 13 March 1916, Page 8

LUCERNE ON GRAVEL

A farmer sowing the adjacent arable lauds with lucerne took his team down across the gravel bed of the Flaxbourne .River to give liis horses a drink, neglecting to throw the mechanism controlling : the/ (seed-distribution- out !of gear. The result was that a double width of lucerne, was sown on the gravel bed of'the riveiy which, the season being favourable, germinated, and there is nowp as is shown, a. good stand of lucernej.'iip to a man's thigh. . Another farmer ."was not slow to profit by. this object lesson, and has reclaimed several seres of river-gravel lower down the river., '!: ■ . . .. , ~ ,- .

This (writes Mr. B. C. Aston, Chemist to the .Department of Agriculture, in the "Journal" of Lis. Department) is a discovery which mi£ht mean many thou-! Bands of pounds to the country if proved applicable to other similar areas;' In this river there are numbers of white limestone pebbles, but it is probably worth'trying elsewhere. In Canterbury clone there aro thousands .of "acres of river-beds which might be brought in '■in,.this' way;' given a good start and a few years suitable for growth. : It is doubtful if any flood, would then kill out the 'lucerne. There is still a great- amount of stock «lia product being aent' away from" tHe Waitotara district-in fact, it is reported that some""£2s,ooo worth .'of 'stock and produce .was _sent away from;. Waitotara , during : the month ,of 'February; —Wa'nganui "Herald." , ' _.The; fat jamb season in the Feilding district (states our " travelling "'correspondent) has been particularly good so far, the railway returns showing that the , exports of sheep anil lambs by rail total over. 117,000, of an approximate; value considerably over £100,000. A Dunedin merchant who has just returned from a „ visit; ; to. Southland states, that" ifthe- weather:'bcing"oxporienced continues for. tho /'nest fort-' night, 90 per cent, of the crops south of Dunedin will "be"iii 'stack.' He' said he did'not suppose that 10 per cent, of the crop was now uncut. Most of the. crops remaining uncut appear to have been beaten down by , the weather, 'and are evidently being 1 left" to the " last while" more pressing .work is being carried on.!' 'is/nqt "a; wheatgrowing district, but the : crops of 'this cereal seen by the Dunedin visitor were of "good quality, and the returns should be above the average. The oat crop wfllijje .a. heavy one, and most-of the oats should be of-A grade quality; .The grass': m Southland is holding out. well, consequent"; on.-the warm ..weather and. {lie genial showers. A good deal of grass T seed; has ..already changed hands. A: fair quantity of the.ryegrass, seed' is of rather light weight, and some of it has been discoloured by, the showers, of. tain.S The'turnip crops'' are'looking' splendid, especially, those that Have been, ridged. Taking them all round/ the Southland crops are fully a month earlier .than usual this season.

South' Otago. farmers are asking that thero shall bo 110 prosecutions this year on account of Camornian thistles. The harvest has come on rapidly, olid at an earlier date than usual, and there is a shortage of 'labour. These facts alone would, thoy hold, justify the Department of Agriculture in publicly notifying that thero would be 110 prosecutions this year. But tne tlnstlo has ceased to ho a terror to farmers •:(says the "Otago Daily TimesT). They declare that it is not the noxious weed it was thought to be, and, if cut as tho farmer can find it,' and allowed to wilt in the sun, .it makes a splendid food for stock just at the time grass ie often going off. An experienced shearer, who has worked in a wide range of sheds, informs the Waimate "Advertiser" that the wool is light this year, owing to the quantity of yolk—the oil in the wool—being!'! insufficient' to provido grease' fot- ''the clip as well as for tho animal's own requirements. Gheese...factories,,which use Parton's Victor ' Vats are- better equipped, and therefore' show: J:better dividends. Tho Victor tYats'have middle drainage, ~ to which- the bottom slopes. This makes for"ibmpletc elimination of whey -and more 'uniform curd. Get details. Writo straightway. A. J. Parton, Carterton.— Advt. :; , , Never has the demand for clear-headed constructive thinking in business been so urgent as it is>,right'son 1 . We are living in a progressive age, and must take advantage' of all up-to-date methods. It is in savings from waste of any description! that money, is made to-day, and by concentrating one's efforts on all details of our business we claim to bo able to produce, results for our many cream suppliers. We want more cream. Can you supply us? Further particulars, Wanganui Fresh Food Co.—Advt.!