Feb. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 139 



Some good examples of the potentialities of lucerne may be seen at Messrs. 

 R. J. Christie and Son's and Whilton Brothers' farms at Eastwood, also at 

 Messrs. Furner and Son's at Carlingford, while at the soldiers' settlements at 

 Bankstown and Campbelltown the settlers are being encouraged to plant 

 lucerne, and some have already very large patches of this, the " king of 

 iodders." Not only can this crop be fed green, but it is one of the easiest 

 to make into hay. Thus it works out, that if more than is required for green 

 food is grown it can be made into hay and be used in the form of chafi to 

 augment the materials used in the morning mash. This is worth the verv 

 .serious attention of poultry farmers. 



The importance of home-grown lucerne to the poultry farmer will be better 

 .appreciated when it is stated that some 15,000,000 bushels of pollard and 

 bran are required to feed the poidtry in this State, and that at least one-third 

 of this great total could be replaced by lucerne grown on the farms. Even 

 half an acre of luc3rne will j^rovide a very considerable amount of poultrv 

 iood, and every poultry farmer should aim at that area or more. 



How to Grow Lucerne. 



Very few poultry farmers will be found on what may be regarded as lucerne 

 land. Taking this fact into consideration and also the poultry farmers' 

 special conditions, the lucerne is best sown in drills 18 inches to 20 inches 

 apart, so that it can be cultivated between the rows. This method also enables 

 poultry manure to be used as a top-dressing, which will, of course, be worked 

 in shallow by the necessary cultivation. It also enables the cultivator to 

 better keep down weeds. 



Where some overhead watering system can be arranged, the poultry farmer 

 will be able to cut lucerne almost all the year round. 



Some further information in regard to the cultivation of lucerne and the 

 making of it into hay we condense from an article by Mr. A. H. E. McDonald, 

 Chief Inspector of Agriculture, which a few months ago appeared in the 

 Agricultural Gazette. 



" The actual preparation of the soil for sowing must be directed towards 

 obtaining a very fine surface, together with a firm seed-bed. Where the 

 fallowing has been satisfactory, a deep ploughing before the sowing is not 

 recommended ; about 3 inches to 4 inches is quite sufficient, for deeper 

 working simply turns under the sweetened surface soil, brings unger- 

 minated weed seeds to the surface, and makes it difficult to put the seed- 

 bed in the firm condition that is essential. After this ploughing, the land 

 should be thoroughly harrowed and rolled to produce a fine surface, and to 

 consolidate the soil generally. A light harrowing should follow the rolling, 

 except in sandy soils, in which cases the seed may be sown on the rolled surface. 

 If the soil is of a heavy character and inclined to set after rain, the rolled 

 surface must be broken or it will probably become very hard after the first 

 Tain. 



