CLOVERS AND ALLIED FORAGE PLANTS 97 



CLOVERS AND ALLIED FORAGE PLANTS. 



Lucerne (Medicago sativa) is the most largely cultivated 

 exotic forage plant in Australia, and certainly is the most 

 important member of the pea-flowering family to grow as 

 auxiliary feed for stock. It can be successfully cultivated, 

 however, only on the deepest and richest of soils. This crop 

 attains perfection on the rich alluvial flats bordering the rivers, 

 but when grown in the interior in similar situations it requires 

 liberal irrigation. Lucerne has a very strong and deep root 

 system, and when once established in favourable situations 

 is wonderfully productive. In ordinary seasons from three 

 to five good cuttings of nutritious herbage can be obtained 

 annually. Stock of all kinds are fond of lucerne, either in a 

 green state or when made into hay, and they do well and fatten 

 on it. Milking cattle that are given fair supplies of green 

 Lucerne, will keep up their yield of milk, even when the 

 pasture herbage is dry. As regards the chemical composition 

 of Lucerne, Mueller and Rummel give the following analysis 

 made on the early spring growth : Starch, 1.5 ; gum, 2.1 ; 

 unfermentable sugar, 3.0 ; albumen, 2.3 ; insoluble proteins, 

 2.3 ; ash, 2.3 per cent. 



FEEDING VALUE OF LUCERNE HAY. 



(Analyses determined by Professors Jenkins and Winton.) 



Per cent. 

 Water .. .. .. 16.5 



Ash .. .. ..6.8 



Albuminoids . . . . . . 16.0 



Fibre .. .. .. 26.6 



Nitrogen (free extract) .. 31.6 



Fat .. .. ..2.5 



100.0 



02 



