LUCERNE GROWING.

Shannon News, 4 March 1924, Page 3

LUCERNE GROWING.

MOST .VALUABLE SUPPLEMENTARY

During- the course, ofliis lecture on Practical Fanning" at the Council Chambers last Thursday eveniugt Mr VV. J. McGullough dealt at length wu/n the value of luqerne as a supplementary crop.

one ion of lucerne was, he said, equal to lj tons of mixed hay or 1£ tons oi cereal and tare .hay ana where it could be grown economically, there was no other crop which could equai it as a supplementary food far dairy cows. The important qualification, however, was that it should be grown economically, moh loamy aiiuvial river flats were the ideal soil on which to, grow lucerne. There were other soils as well where it could be grown satisfactorily, but it was well to. remember' tbe old saying that "lucerne would not stand wet feet." In a stiff clay soil what happened was that in the summer time the roots penetrated several feet down into the soil, but when the winter came and tfoe level of the water rose in the ground, perhaps to within two or three feet of the surface, the roots of the plant below that level rotted off. The consequent loss of energy to the plant rendered it weakly and unsatisfactory, and where such soil obtains it was a good thing to grow some other crop, unless deep drainage was practicable.

It had been contended by some writers that the quality of -tfhe land on which lucerne was grown made no difference—that it would grow as Well on a poor as a rich soil. This was all nonsense. These writers even went as far as to state that no manure was required/ but the folly of this was too apparent to require refutation.-

The first requirement was that the crop should have plenty of room to grow downwards; It was necessary that it should be kept clear of weeds, and where the root system was well established it was possible to cultivate the surface thoroughly without affecting the crop. It was well to remember also that lucerne was. a lover of lime and he would recommend the use of two tons of crushed lime or one ton of burnt lime to the acre be-i fore sowing. Lime was required by the plant as food, but it also had the effect of removing sourness from the soil, and had the curious qualification of acting in an exactly different way with, clay and sandy soils. Clay soil was opened up by lime whilst sandy soil was bound by it.

INOCULATION. When sowing lucerne it was always advisa'ble to use inoculated soil. Lucerne was a collector of nitrogen which was stored in nodules or swellings on the roots and which also dispersed throughout the soil. After the second year these were well, developed and although lucerne could under favourable conditions be grown in soil which had not been inoculated, the progress was always slower, the inoculation starting the formation of the necessary nodules straight away. About two cwt. of inoculated soil per acre was necessary, and the process was not expensive. The soil was obtained from an existing lucerne paddock of at least two years' growth, the first threiei inches of the surface soil being removed and-tine next nine inches in depth dug uip for inoculation purposes. The soil should be filled into sajjks and distributed as soon as possible. Where it was not convenient to sow immediately the sacks should be put into a cool shed where the soil would remain damp.

METHOD OF SOWING. Lucerne might be grown in rows or broadcasted, it being sometimes claimed that by sowing in rows it was possible to keep the ground cleaner. The best method, (however, was x probably to sow in drills seven inches apart and then cross-sow at the same distance. The question of keeping clean was not a serious one although absolutely necessary, as, once the crop was established a cultivator, or what was more particularly recommended, a grubber, made specially for the purpose could be worked without any* danger of damage to the crop. "When using this grubber," Mr "McCullough continued, amidst laughter, "do not look back—th* crop will look so bad that yoii will be tempted to give it uip." .- The disc harrows are sometimes used to break up the surface of the soil but their use was inadvisable as tending to,cut the crown of the plants and causing at times.a serious weakening of the plants even if it does not kill them. Where it is necessary to use the discs in order to break the surface so as to permit of the use of the grubber they should be used without "out" and as little as possible. The spring tooth cultivator was of little use in lucerne as it did not get down into the ground sufficiently and the ideal implement was the grublber b;efore mentioned. The early spring was the best time to cultivate or if weather did not permit at that time then as early as possible. WHEN TO CUT.

The best time to cut lucerne was when the new buds begin to form at the bottom of the plants, which is in .the early flowering stage. This was the time of the greatest leaf formation and as the leaf contained a considerably higher proportion of nutritime value than tftie stem it was advisable to study this. If left until later also, the stems ibecame woody and indigestible and a certain p|rciviitage of the leaves were lost. It was a good thing, however, to allow one crop per year to get away a? this strengthened the plant.

LUCEUNE HAY. Lucerne was not an easy crop to make hay of as if a shower of rain falls on it after the crop was cut it dried very rapidly after and becoming crisp lost a large percentage of the leaves which are the valuable part of the crop. It should be putinfo cocks as soon as possible. after bfeing cut and allowed to toughen there, after which it is more easily handled.

The first crop of lucerne was usually the most difficult, of the year to

deal with. It came in at a time when tihe flush of grass was oh and the weather not settled enough to make hay easy to save. Under these circumstances eTisilago might profitably be made, but. hV> would not recomment it whore liny rnulrt be saved j£ its stead.