Lucerne as a Factor in Dairy 

 Farming. 



BY R. SILVA-JONES, 



(Late Government Da:'ry Expert). 



' I 'HE age of providential trust in the weather, and the all-too- 

 scanty and irregular rainfall cf this Celery, is slowly but 

 surely passing away ; the lessen is teing leaint and realised that 

 we must stcre what surplus water we get and lead it in the dry 

 seasons, which after all are regular, whilst the Met enes are not. 

 What better confirmation cf this lessen can we have than by the 

 result of actual experiment and the dearly bought experience of 

 others who are busily engaged in the cultivation of lucerne to-day. 



In New Zealand, statistics show that in a period of ten years- 

 the exports of agricultural produce have almost doubled them- 

 selves. Ten yeais ago the figures steed in rcund numbers at (en 

 millicns sterling, but retuins just to hand show they have risen to 

 nineteen and three-quarter millions sterling the major portion 

 of this grand total being brought up from products of the dairy. 



I quote this example at the outset to show what can be done 

 by strict attention to detail, and with a set determination to 

 increase the products of the country, and improve their position 

 financially. 



From the same report I gather 'that ten or fifteen years ago 

 New Zealand was in the same undecided condition as to " will it 

 pay" as we are to-day; and although, judging from the current 

 report, there is still room for huge improvement and development, 

 one can still see a determination to ensure that development and 

 general improvement. 



Lucerne growing is to be one of the chief elements of that 

 coming development in so far as the future of the Cape Colony is 

 concerned, and this article will be limited to that development and 

 improvement in so far as the dairy industry is concerned only. 



Firstly, I may say, to touch upon the salient points, it enables 

 a larger number of cows to be kept on any given area than previ- 

 ously ; secondly, the feeding of milch cows I am assuming. 



