18 LUCERNE CULTURE. 



fro.n 15 t^ 50 miles traversiig them. Gen3rally speaking, on the 

 banks of these sluits or " dry rivers " beautiful level stretches of deep 

 alluvial soil may be f jund. By erecting barriers across these dry 

 rivers in the form of eirth dims or stme and wire dams, the water 

 may be deviated from tlie channel formed by years of wash, and 

 turned out on the level stretches, which, if sown with lucerne, and 

 given a thorough flooding every time the rains traverse the water- 

 shed of the " dry river," would give large crops of lucerne, which 

 could bs cut in the rainy S3asons and stacked for use in times of 

 drought. At odd times a great deal of green " pickings " could be got 

 for ostrich chicks or for running sheep on. In this direction great 

 advances are being made in this country, and it miybe confidently 

 asserted that when full advantage has been taken of every spot 

 where lucerne can be profitably grown in this country, it will make 

 a difference of millions to the annual revenue of the Cape Colony. 



There are also many spots in this country called " vleis," 

 which always have a certain amount of rmisture in the soil, which 

 can be easily detected by the green appearance of the rushes and 

 other growth on them. By sinking on these "vleis" water is 

 generally found anywhere between 20 and 40 feet. Such sp=)!;s are 

 ideal for lucerne culture. Lucerne above all things abhors stand- 

 ing water about its stems. This kills it off very quickly. Nor 

 does lucerne thrive where standing water is to be found as near the 

 surface as two or three f 33'. There is the old saying that lucerne 

 does not like wet feet ; but if the water is 15 or 20 feet below the 

 surface, the lucerne will thrive excellently, and once the roots get 

 down to the moisture, good crops will continue to come on even in 

 dry times. Lucerne thrives and grows marvellously on the banks 

 of the Mooi River, in the Transvaal, where the water is only a few 

 feet below the surface, probably not more than from 2 feet to 10 

 feet, but here the water is supposed to be moving under the surface, 

 and not stagnant, which makes a great difference in its effect on the 

 lucerne. 



The selling of their lucerne hay by stock farmers cannot be 

 too much deprecated. How often does it not happen that a farmer 

 sells his hay at 4s. or 5s. per 100 Ibs. in the early part of the season, 

 when everything looks promising for a good year, and by the end 

 of the season when a drought has developed r^e would pay double 

 and treble what he sold for to have the stuff on his farm. He then 

 cannot obtain it, as those who have it are requiring it to save their 

 own stock. Thus the farmer who sells his hay very often loses 

 hundreds of pounds worth of valuable stock through having sold 

 his hay, while the money value received for his nay would not cover 

 one-sixth or one-tenth of his losses in valuable stock. 



It is a safe axiom for every stock farmer to stack and stack, 

 and continue to stack, every pound of hay that he cuts. In this 

 country of ours, with its fickle seasons, the day is as safe to arrive 

 as the sun is to rise in the east when the hnerne s',ack^ will bs a 

 god-send to him. 



