THE FARM.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4595, 31 August 1923, Page 4

THE FARM.

LUCERNE. Established stands of lucerne should be cut or quickly fed off about, the end of September, and, if the land is dry, given a good cultivation. The object is to break the surface of the land, which has become firm by top much grazing or constant rain, and allow the air to get in; also to shake up weeds and grass that have become established. If the field had a good autumn cultivation and was not heavily grazed during the winter the spring cultivation is simple, and can be done with a light cultivator or the tine harrows weighted with a few posts or a bag or two of soil. If, however, autumn cultivation was neglected, or the land has become badly infesled with grass, the spring cultivation must be more drastic. In cases of this sort the best method is to give the paddock a good disking, in some cases several strokes being necessary. The disks should be run with as little set as possible, the object being to cut up t,he surface of land and grasses or weeds as small as possible. This having been accomplished, the loosened material can be shaken up by means of the cultivator or tine harrows. If the cultivator is used first in the spring on land badly infested with fog and similar grasses the ground is torn up in lumps, and subsequent working fails to properly fails to break it up, with the resul: that, it is almost impossible to get the mowing machine over the paddock when cutting-time comes. It should be remembered that spring .cultivation is carried out more with the pbject of bringing about a rapid growth than destroying weeds, bu,t if the cultivation is well done and carried out ati the proper time—namely, when the weather conditions are suitable for the lucei'ue making rapid growth —the bulk of the weeds and grasses will be smothered. Lucerne should not be cultivated when the land is wet. If the stand cannot be worked reasonably dry it is better to leave it alone in the spring.. If the, lucerne has not been doing very well and requires top-dressing this is the time for applying it, and provided the field has been liberally treated in the past with lime there is nothing better than superphosphate, which may be used at the rate of 2cwt or 3cwt per acre. Slower acting phosphates, like basic-slag', Ephos, and Nauru rock, are also useful, but they should be applied earlier in the season. Lucerne is expected to give heavy crops, and, consequently, must be well fertilised if the land is at all poor. On old lucerne fields, that are becoming very thin the first cut of lucerne can be greatly improved by drilling .1% bushels of oats in the ground after cultivation. The mixture of oats and lucerne is excellent for ensilage. Any weak patches in young lucerne fields that were sown in the spring of last year can be greatly invigorated by top-dressing them with any well.rotted cowyard manure that is available. These weak patches usually show up along the “finishes” or on the hillsides, where the soil is thin, and quickly become a mass of weeds and grass if the lucerne is not helped along. If green crops are being grown in preparation for lucerne they should be ploughed under during SeptemberIf this cannot be done it is better to feed them off and plough under the residue.