LUCERNE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 33, 7 October 1915, Page 3

LUCERNE

I (From the Inglewood Record.) | C«u lucerne be grown in this paG •of Taranaki? This is a question whose answer is of vital importance Ito our community. Mr D. Todd, oi Dudley Road, lias given one answer in the affirmative, and reply G confirmed by Mr I). Swanson, ol Tank!. Mr Swanson’s farm is situated on the Tariki Road in easy reach from the Railway Station, and is hounded ■by the Manga nui and Waipahu 'streams. On his property, Mr Swan'son his done a great deal of work in the way of clearing and cultivating, 'and has consistently tried to find how the land of this part of laranaki can lie made to produce the best returns, in pursuance of this object be sot aside four neves wbicu bad previously been cropped with the usual series of Mvodes, oats, etc., ami then after two seasons of clover and rye grass hay in 1914. he ploughed and cross-ploughed the land, and from then on till Decem,her. he harrowed it with tine and 'chain harrows, so that by seeding time ,the land was in really first-rate order. On til? sth December. 1914. lie I sowed the lucerne, at the rate of 201 b ■to the acre, at the same time i a ton 'of manure per acre was broadcast sown 'on the land. The.manure used was 'sulphate of potash, bone dust and '.superphosphate. Mr Swanson is eu11irely satisfied with the result oi his 'experiment. At the present time he 1 is grazing 3(5 cows for one hour in the forenoon and one hour iu the after--1 noon on the four-acre piece, and says 'that when they go out onto really 'good feed they chew the cud, but do 'not eat the other food. He has cavc--1 fully watched them, and so far has [not seen any sign of blowing. In regard to getting lucerne to take and make a really good staVt, Air Swanson is a strong advocate for [rolling, be says that, however thoroughly the ground is cultivated, it t needs to be compacted by rolling. At anvrate, the results are satisfactory. I and the chief rules to lie observed in j order to establish a field of lucerne ap,pear to be thorough cultivation, clearance of weeds, and heavy rolling. So encouraging were the results of Mr Swanson’s experiment that he has built a concrete silo which measures 1 14 ft Bin in diameter, by 22 , feet hi .height. This is partly excavated on the lower side of the lucerne paddock, it will hold sixty-one tons of ensilage, land is so arranged that the filling and I discharging of it can he done with the least outlay of labour. To see is ,t° he convinced, arid Mr Swanson will be pleased to give all ithe information be has at bis comI mand to any bona fide inquiries who ■ like to look him up.