8 LUCERNE CULTURE. 



depend entirely upon flood water. The valuable lucerne ground 

 upon the Sundays River Estate is also entirely dependent upon 

 flood water after rains. The increased use of flood water along the 

 larger periodical Karroo rivers would cause them in time to become 

 absolutely perennial streams. This is the experience in other 

 countries. 



HOW TO GRAZE LUCERNE. 



Sometimes a young crop of lucerne will, appear to be. entirely 

 mastered and smothered by weeds. Don't get scared and plough it 

 up because it is "a failure. 1 ' Turn sheep or cattle (tollies are the 

 best) into the field, and leave them there until they have apparently 

 smashed down and pulverised the weeds, lucerne and all. Don't be 

 afraid they will trample the young lucerne under the weeds to death. 

 Leave the stock on this weedy, .fjk^d till it is literally bare ground 

 in appearance. Then turn out 4fo stock and at once apply the 

 water, and you will be surprised to find the lucerne showing up 

 faster than the weeds. Repeat this treatment every time the weeds 

 threaten to cover the young lucerne, and the lucerne will steadily 

 master the weeds and take sole possession of the ground. We 

 know of people, who have not understood this, who have ploughed 

 up young lucerne fields, thinking they were a failure, when, if 

 treated as described, they would have developed into flourishing 

 fields. Running the mower over young weedy lucerne of course is 

 the correct treatment ; but where this cannot be done, the stocking 

 plan above described answers the purpose nearly as well. 



Stock should never be allowed to continuously graze on lucerne. 

 They should be removed from the paddock as soon as the crop is 

 eaten down to three. or four inches above the ground, then apply 

 the water to this paddock, turning the stock into the next paddock 

 ready for grazing, and s o on in rotation. 



Sheep and cattle turned on short succulent lucerne are apt to get 

 woven or " opblas." This rarely happens to stock upon lucerne 

 nearing the flowering stage. Stock that are accustomed tj eating 

 lucerne should never be put into a field of short succulent lucerne 

 straight from a dry karroo or grass camp. Let them in by degrees. 

 Sheep placed in lucerne paddocks to fatten, if left to run in the 

 paddocks day and night, can usually be turned off fat in from three 

 to four weeks from date of putting the in into the paddocks. Cattle 

 take a longer time. An Australian writer (vide Agricultural Journal, 

 Vol. X., No. 10, page 565) estimates one acre of lucerne "will fatten 

 eight to ten sheep. Since lucerne can be grazed some six to seven 

 times a year, one acre would thus produce feed enough to fatten 

 sixty to seventy sheep per- annum. In districts where "fever" 

 amongst sheep is apt to occur, it is advisable to choose from April 

 or May up to 1st of January for fattening Merinos on lucerne. The 

 hot months, when damp, are bad. Shedding sheep regularly at 

 nights in fever season is said by many to be a preventive to fever. 



