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King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 610, 11 October 1913, Page 2

al vc-. j aiv turned cut to RBSjßp^fipastuiM snould be sweet Tjitsele:;.;!: fci:e paddock that is used year after v( : ar for this purpose is a sourcs of many calf troubles. The qussticn of feeding heifers for dairy purposes cannot be too strongly emphasised. Neither can you em phasise too strongly the necesstiy of feeding the dairy cow when she is dry. Allowing all the cavles to drink from one trough at the same time cannot ba condemned too strongly, especially when th 9 trough is not kept thoroughly clean, and every calf-feeder knows that some calves will not drink half the milk that others "s*?ill in the same time, and thus some are starved and others boated. Dairy farming may have its seamy side, but, on the other hand, it hes its compensations; for, after all, is there any sight more pleasing to the eye, i or is there anything more likely to fill the pocket, than a first-cIaES herd of dairy cows. A good constitution is an absolute necessity in a dairy cow. Owing to the very great strain on a cow giving a large quantity of milk, she is more prone to colds and aiJments of various kinds than one which is only rearing her calf. Also, it should always be remembered that young stock from very heavy milking cows require extra care and feed, aa they would otherwise seem to thrive less than do the offspring of moderate milking cows. GREEN MANURES.

The ploughing in of green manure crops is one of the most effective methods of enriching the surface soil. Green ci*ops contain elements of fertility derived from the air and from the mineral and vegetable constituents of th 9 subsoil on which they grow, as well as what they have taken from the surface soil. Therefore, when green crops are returned to the earth and left to decompose in it, as by ploughiiig in they naturally not only restore to the surface soil thcae elements that they took out, but also add to it the elements of plant focd they secured from the air and subsoil. The plants best adapted for use as green manures are those that derive their support largely from subsoil and grow rapidly and cover the ground well, and where roots penetrate deeply.

The growth of these crops may, with advantage, be largely increased by the use of arrifkial manures. Buck wheat, rye, rape, clover, and cow psas are chief,amohg the green crops used as green manures; and of these clover and cow peas are the most valuable, becuase of then- habit of deep growth and nitrogen addition. Theae green manure crops are used aiost profitably in conjunction with sumir.er fallow, and they ihouid be ploughed in as as possible to the time of flowering. The improvement which they effect in the texture and fertility and the soil is most marked in clays. The use of green manure crops furnishes cheap and efficacious method of manuring lands remote from the buildings of the farm.

LUCEIRNE GROWING.

DEPARTMENTAL EXPERIMENTS,

The Department of Agriculture is planting lucerne at the principal ex perimental stations on a more extensive scale this season. At Weraroa twenty acres of land are now being prepared for this purpose, fourteen additional acres are to be put down at Mouraahaki, while the area under crop at Ruakura is also being extended. Judging by experiences at those stations, it appears that lucerne can be successfully grown in almost any description of soil providing the land is not saturated with water. With larger quantities of lucerne available, more exhaustive tests will be • possible in order to determine the value of tha plant for feeding purposes, and the conditions under which this may be done to the best advantage. In a reference to lucerne growing, the current issue of the Department's Journal states that it is generally Conceded that if a successful stand is to be secured, preparation for it should be made in the preceding season. The best means of doing this is to plant in a well-cultivated Boil a clover crop to weaken the weed growth, and provide the essential clean seed bed. For this purpose a legume is to be preferred such as tares, peas, or crimson clover. Rape is also useful. The same may be said of mustard, if followed by careful estivation. Roots well grown and thoroughly clean, are- also valuable preparatory crops. The Department iB offering to farmers, seed, inoculated soil, in order topple them to test lucerne in their localities and thereby to bring about a more general use of the plant. In explaining the reasons why it is desirable to apply inoculated soil when sowing lucerne the diractor of the ileitis division points out that experience ha 3 shown that the difference beAymn Bticeess and iailuva in securing a good stand of lacerns has been ferae so to tbs aoseoae ci an appropriate :i pariiculm 1 soils, Limamm, iv- com mo;: vmlu u'mrm hyrm-m me oi imyen of ::he aimmymme. I'c ;.m <mm me elewmsm m its mom odvmAoym This assures idle vigrmr oi: the pirnm. aro, k;er me :mm-bmm";:; m: irm 'mii. : ecuis-om soil m cbimmsd from :: meil r-stab!ir.hs-.d and thriving hmemm hold. The arauum: oi.' mmim urea mmr 2501b vo doO'h :;ev eerm [n some localities ii; m not necmrmiy to supply inoculated soil, mm ifm method adopted by the Department

nr(hi-:~ \r 'our t {\ i:: a eventration k 1 nv.'ii ['c? '' i iru:.;i 1 isiiri is sdcied to comparatively email quantity of soii, or. t»> the see*.!. In practice, however. it has been found that this form of inoculation has failed to give entire satisfaction. In America, where lucerne is widely cultivated, culture lias been developed which gives great satisfaction as an inoculating agency, and is said to be preferred to the use of inoculated soils. The main objection to the latter being the large bulk of soil which requires to be handled a large plot is heing sown, also tho liability to transfer undesirable weeds from one farm to another.