3b LUCERNE CULTURE. 



SOILS. 



The roots of the lucerne plant penetrate to great depths in 

 search of plant food and moisture, and it thrives best where the soil 

 is sufficiently deep and permeable to allow it to do this. 



Deep, alluvial loams of medium consistency (neither exces- 

 sively light and sandy nor very heavy) give the best results. Shal- 

 low soils produce poor crops and the stands are but short-lived. 



The chemical composition of the soil has some influence on 

 the succeeding crop, but not as much as is sometimes supposed ; 

 good crops are produced on soils of very diverse chemical charac- 

 ter. Lime is a valuable adjunct to a lucerne soil, but soils not rich 

 in lime may produce good crops, other things being favourable. 



Among the Romans, and at the present day in Provence, iron- 

 stone soil is considered inimical to the good growth of lucerne. 

 This may not be due to the presence of an excess of iron so much 

 as to the impermeability of the comparatively thin stratum to- 

 which ^he iron is mainly confined, as in parts of England. Whe- 

 ther both or only one of these factors cause the trouble, we find 

 that lucerne does not succeed where the form of iron deposit known, 

 as Transvaal " oo'klip " occurs near the surface. 



Poor, light, sandy soils are not conducive to the production of 

 good stands of lucerne. 



Sour, peaty soils, such as are found at high altitudes in some- 

 of our eastern districts, have not, so far, proved satisfactory. 



The land must not be swampy. The water-table (upper limit 

 of the ground water) should not rise nearer the surface than six 

 feet, even in summer. Stagnant water causes the roots to rot ; the 

 lucerne root is most sensitive on this point. Some plots of low- 

 land at the Botanical Experiment Station, Pretoria, have been 

 entirely drowned out, although the water did not stand on the- 

 surface. 



PREPARATION OF THE LAND. 



My experience is that newly-broken veld is unsuited to lucerne, 

 and this view is confirmed by the experience of American growers. 

 It is particularly the case in the Transvaal* where the veld is so 

 full of deep-rooted perennial weeds which are not removed nor 

 killed by the ordinary surface plough, but which are rather stimu- 

 lated to more vigorous growth. This applies more particularly to 

 sour veld. The land should either be fallowed or cropped for the 

 first season with some cleaning crop such as manna or toff-grass ; 

 American growers recommend that this l:e done for at least two 

 seasons. 



In order that the seedlings may find sufficient moisture to carry 

 them over a period of dry heat between rains, it is necessary that a 

 thoroughly deep and fine tilth should be prepared, which will 

 retain the moisture. Some growers consider that as much care is 

 required in the preparation of the soil for lucerne as for an onion 



