LUCERNE GROWING.

Otaki Mail, 29 March 1922, Page 4

LUCERNE GROWING.

HOW TO GET SUCCESSFUL CROPS. - Tho' following recommendations have been made by a leading authority after a series of experiments, demonstrations and surveys:— For"fields to stand for only two to five years and on large holds, seed of 1 the common varieties, unless the American Grimm soed can be secured at a reasonable price. Any good, productive, well-drained land is adapted for growing lucerne. Soilß that are found to be acid may b> ' made suitable by the application oi ' lime. Preparation of the Soil. A firm, clean, moist, fertile seed-bed is required. Any manner of propara- 1 tion that will provide such a seed-bed is good. Fields that have produced cub ? treated crops the preceding year are easily prepared for lucerne by thoiougi

"discing. Next to eultivateel fields, autumn ploughed land is to be preferred. Early spring ploughing, followed by a* abundance of discing and harrowing to compact the soil, will do when necessary. No matter how the soil is handled the preceding years, or whether it is ; autumn ploughed or spring ploughed, it must be thoroughly and persist outl.v (disced through the early part "of the summer before sowing lucerne. The discing causes the weed seeds to gcr ruinate and later kills tne weeds. It also conserves moisture and liberate: , plant food, so that when tho-luceruc iseeded it will -make a quick, strong growth, which aids it in getting ahead ; of weeds. All land to be seeded to lucerne should be top-dressed with manure not later than Ist March, and this manure disced in so that any woe* seeds there may bo in the manure will have an opportunity to germinate and m bo destroyed by later discing before the | lucerne seed is planted. .Soils that are 1 acid should be treated with from two 8 to four tons of finely-ground limestone 1 per acre, and the limestone disced in 8 before sowing the lucerne. I Inoculation. I In view of the almost universal rei ports of better stands and better ynvl- | from lucerne fields that arc properly I inoculated, it is deemed advisable to 8 advocate tlic inoculation of all nou I fields of lucerne. The simplest method § of insuring satisfactory inoculation is: 1 (a) Gather about 20 11) of soil from I around well-inoculated sweet clover or | lueerno plants for each acre to be sown; 9 (b) spread it. in a shaded i>lace, to air dry; (c) when dry, crush and sift through"a fine sieve; (d) mix one pint

of siftings with one part of weight of seed, and sow its usual. Keep the soil j from the sun at all times, i Sowing the Seed. : Use from 10 to 12 lb of good, clean J seed per acre. Rest results have been obtained from sowing without a nurse crop and sowing in mid-spring, from Ist August to Ist October, but oniy ■ when the soil is in good condition J that is, when there is plenty of moietj ure or when the soil ’.s compareli volt i j free from weeds. Use of Nurse Crops. h Where all conditions are extremely J | favorable, good results may be obtain®* by sowing lucerne early in the spring a j with a nurse crop. However, there is } less chance of securing a lull stand with a nurse crop than where sown I alone. For this reason, beginners are j strongly advised to son- lucerne with ' out a nurse crop. j Good results have been secured by , sowing lucerne with barley, oats, or wheat. Barley probably makes as good a nurse crop as any, and when used should be sown at the rate of three pecks to one bushel per acre. When wheat and oats'are used they should be sown at a correspondingly less rate per acre. If the nurse crop endangers the lucerne by lodging or in unduly drying out the soil, it may be necessary to cut it for hay before it is ripe. Clipping Lucerne. It is desirable to clip lucerne fields when the weeds become troublesome. The most satisfactory way is to clip just after the heads have headed out. j In case there is danger of the clipping* I smothering the lucerne, it i? hesr to rake them ofT. Where the lucerne i plants develop new shoots (next f ’iop j shoofs) by 25th December, clipping will i create a more vigorous root anu top deu velopment.

| Re-Inoculation. j Where nodules have not appeared on the roots of the young lucern plants by Ist December, it is advisable to re-in-oculate by spreading 500 to 1000 lb effective inoculating soil per ncre when cloudy, and harrow in immediately. Pasturing Lucerne. Lucerne should not be pastured during the first year of growth. Cauti»u I should be used in pasturing small fields I at any time, as there is great danger ot ; injuring the stand. When a lucerne field is well established, pasturing so that two crops of hay can be.cut annually gives splendid results and insures a more permanent stand. > Reclaiming Unthrifty Pields. .Where lucerne fields up to a year old 5 are not doing well, the following pro-, j eedure will generally insure a good stand:— J Have the soil tested for acidity, and j if acid, apply from three to five tons \ of ground limestone and 500 to 1000 lb | of sweet clover or-lucerne soil per aery. I and work the surface of the field aci cording to the development of the . I plants. -Where the lucerne plants are ! ! small, a barrow can be successfully us- j ed by setting he teeth straight and j j cross harrowing two. or threeyimcs. . Where the plants are well developed. I use a spring-tooth harrow or disc. If the soil is not acid, apply only the int oculating soil and work as above. The above methods are most effective during the early spring.