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THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



Lucerne Haymaking. 



Lucerne ie more difficult to cure than any other kind of hay crop, and 

 .greater loss occurs to it than any other when improperly treated. Careful 

 handling is required from the time the crop is cut until the hay is baled for 

 market. The eagerness with which buyers snap up well-cured lots of lucerne 

 hay indicates the importance of curing and of marketing in the very best 

 condition. They prefer hay that is bright, green, dry, free from weeds and 

 rubbish, and that contains a large proportion of leaf. A dirty appearance, 

 indicating careless handling in the field, or the slightest sign of heating in 

 the bale, causes buyers to reject the lot or to. only accept it at much reduced 

 prices. Since quality is of just the same importance when lucerne hay is 

 fed on the farm, the same care is necessary in its treatment. 



Lucerne should be cut just after the first flowers have appeared, though 

 many growers prefer to watch the crown for the young shoots of the next 

 cut. Much more depends upon the selection of the right time to cut lucerne 



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Mowing Lucerne, Hawkesbury Agricultural College. 



than with other hay crops. In the latter cases loss is chiefly due to deteri- 

 oration in digestibility, but in lucerne the loss is not confined to this, but 

 extends to actual loss of weight in the hay and to poorer growth in the 

 succeeding crop. After lucerne flowers, the nutriment in the stems and 

 leaves is withdrawn and transferred to the upper portions of the plant, and 

 the stems harden and become indigestible and of less value as food. The 

 leaves wither also and begin to fall, which results in loss of weight, and as 

 tbese are the richest portion of the plant every effort should be made to retain 

 them in the hay. No advantage is obtained when the crop is allowed to 

 remain uncut past the stage recommended. The only time when such a 

 course is justifiable is when the weather is unsuitable for hay-making, and 

 the crop is left standing until good weather is assured. A loss in the suc- 

 ceeding cuttings also follows when cutting is left past the time indicated. 

 This loss is due to two things. When the crop is left uncut until past 

 ^flowering, it is found that the succeeding crop does not start away so quickly 



