SUBTERGRIM LUCERNE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 713, 13 December 1933, Page 2

SUBTERGRIM LUCERNE

Subtergriiii lucerne which 1 is a New Zealand production evolved- ffOto a single piantby A. Macphersoh, formerly Specialist in Lucerne Oulture, Department of Agriculture, New Zealand, is now growing throughout the four quarters of the globe and con- ' tinues to excel all other known strains in yield of forage per acre. In New Zealand, ori poor land, considered as suitable for the growing ' o£ other varieties, suhtergrim lucerne has in authenticated yields per acre, ' per anrium, completely outyielded the wofld-s previous ' highest record ohtained in the lucerne producing countries of the world from other . varieties of lucerne grown on the best soils and nnder irrigation in these ' countries. This season, from an area of suhtergrim lucerne grown by Mr. W. Caley, dairy fiarmer, Owaka, the first crop was secured on Nbvemher 16. The area cut was a representative one, and was iheasured and weighed ' by a committee, who certified that ' the yield ohtained was 14.091 tons green lucerne per acre, which, converted into hay hy the usual forniula ascertained, by test gave a yield of 4.144 tons lucerne hay per acre. 'This extraordinary heavy yield per -acre for the first cut can be better understood when it is mentioned that the offieial average yield per acre for I the Dominion is stated to he slightly over 21 tons lucerne hay per annum and that Mr. Caley's suhtergrim is capable of producing three to four more crops before the season ends. The area is situated on the face of a hill and the soil is the ordinary bush cleared lands in Owaka, and surrounding districts, ,a loam on a sandy claim subsoil. Before sowing the seed, the land received a topdressing of one ton ground hurnt ' lime per acre and a small quantity j; of inoculated soil 'was sown along with the seed. No manure or fertiliser were applied as such treatment is distinctly injurious to the successful growing of suhtergrim lucerne. Nor was the areia irrigated. To realise the true value of such a high yield of suhtergrim lucerne and what it means to the grower, it is necessary to base this on the skilled experience of lucerne growing authorities throughout the world and is ' as f ollows :• — !The 14.091 tons green lucerne per acre requiring 251b to produce a gallon >f milk would make 1262 gallons of milk, which, at 6d per gallon, would return £31 11s per acre. It also would he ample food to carry two 600 gallon cows per acre, during a milking season. If rnade into hay, the 4.144 tons would carry at the rate of 11 sheep per acre for a whole year, with water, without any other feed land would keep them in healthy and progressive condition. Chaffed or made into meal the 4.144 tons lucerne hay would he sufficient food for egg production to make 18.056 whites and 13,115 yolks. The value of pure lucerne hay as a fodder is usually hased in lucerne growing countries on the price ruling for high" grade oats, for the reason that oats are high in digestible protein content. Protein 'being the niost valuahle constituent in foods for man 'and beast. One ton of high grade oats contains 2391b and oe to of lucerne hay 2351b digestible protein. 'The average Dominion price for high grade oats at the present time is ahout 2s 6d per hushel. It takes 56 •bush'els of oats to weigh a ton and the value of one ton of oats at 2s 6d per hushel would be£7. The relative value of one ton of pure lucerne hay based on its digestible protein content would thus be £6 17s 8d per ton. The value of the 4.144 tons suhtergrim lucerne hay secured in the first cut ohtained this season hy Mr. W. Caley would therefore figure £28 10s 5d per acre, with three or four more crops to follow this season. An area of suhtergrim lucerne on the Otago Peninsula grown on soil, a light loam on a poor clay suhsoil with solid rock five feet helow the surface, in its eighth year of production, was lhst season under the ob- , servation of Mr. R. B. Tenent, Fields Superintendent, Department of Agriculture. The season was very dry over that part of Otago, pastures were hurnt up and root crops practi--cally a failure. The first cut was taken on Novemher 3, 1932, and the ' fifth on June 9, 1933. Mr. Tennent certifies that th'e soil on which the lucerne was growing was poor, that the summer months were exceptionally dry, that five crops were cut and that the growing period of this strain extended over a long period of the year, the yield being 8.36 tons lucerne hay, which, he says, must he considered as good under such conditions. Mr. Tennent examined the lucerne stand "towards the end of winter and certifies that this strain continues to grow ' right throughout the winter months. 'The value of the 8.36 tons lucerne hay secured would figure £57 12s lOd ' per acre. Suhtergrim lucerne is now grown ' suecessfully in the Dominion from ' the sands on the sea shore to high up ' among the mountains, even beyond ' the Hermitage, Mount Cook. It grows on all soils except those that are acid, hadly drained or water-log-1 ged. To remedy these and make them fit to grow suhtergrim lucerne, lime acid soils with' ground hurnt lime and "drain hadly drained and water-log-ged soil and then lime heavily.