FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1921, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

LUCERNE IN MARLBOROUGH. As an instance of what could be made out of lucerne, Mr. S. Neville, of Bien heim, Marlborough, two years ago sowed a 105-acre paddock previously in oats with peas and lucerne. The soil was somewhat lightish. The peas were grown under contract for export at 12s 6d a bushel, the great proportion being of the “Little AVonder” variety. An average of 47i bushels per acre was threshed—portion of the crop was up to 60—and after retaining some for seed and his own use, Mr. Neville received a cheque for £277o—over £26 10s pel acre. He wintered 500 wethers on the pea straw of the 105 acres, and recently ewes and lambs to the number of apparently about 20 to the acre were graz-

ing on a great flush of lucerne, and were looking well. Peas are. one of the best fertilising crops known. They are Yi great . nitrogen-collector, and anything will grow after them, barley particularly well. Incidentally, Mr. Neville mentioned that from 12,000 to 13,000 acres of peas are grown in Marlborough annually, as good this year as usual. Although the great bulk of the lucerne is grazed, a good deal is cut for' hay, which finds a ready market in Wellington for whiter feed at better prices than otjier hay —that is, if properly saved. A point in the latter is that a long narrow stack is preferable to let the air through—not a large square stack with the one object of holding a big quantity. The first cut, moreover, should be a hay one, the later ones being reserved for seed. Mr. Neville’s experiences should be of interest to both agriculturists and pastoralists, many of the latter of whom are concerned about the shrinking carrying capacity of their properties, and want a stable to arrest the movement.