THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK L 



a flow of milk equal, if not superior, to that obtainable from any other 

 forage. 



The following appeared in " Country Life " in its issue dated 22nd 

 September 1906 : 



" Over a large portion of England, and especially in the southern 

 half, the summer of 1906 will be remembered as one of severe drought. 

 The corn crops have been good as a rule, the roots got a fair start, and 

 even the hay crop, particularly in some counties, was not so very bad : 

 but since haymaking the pastures and seeds have been burnt up and 

 parched till large areas have assumed the appearance of an arid desert. 



" I have lately travelled over a wide stretch of country, westwards to 

 North Oxfordshire, and eastwards through Essex, and in a tolerably 

 long experience have rarely seen a more depressing state of things than 

 that from which the graziers and dairy farmers are now suffering. There 

 is literally nothing in the meadows for the cattle to eat, and the sheep, 

 cropping close to the ground, are just keeping themselves alive, but 

 sinking in condition day by day. At such a time as this it would be 

 difficult to estimate the value per acre of a succulent forage plant which, 

 in spite of such a drought as the present one, can yield two good crops 

 of hay and then throw up an aftermath in the course of three weeks 

 nearly up to the knees of the cattle. And yet we have in lucerne just 

 such a plant as this, useful in any season, but in a dry summer simply 

 invaluable. The secret of its ability to withstand a lengthened drought 

 is the wonderful way in which it strikes its roots right down into the 

 subsoil, often to a depth of 3 or 4 feet. Forty-two years ago I grew a 

 small patch of lucerne, and quickly perceiving its value, I soon had 30 

 acres of it growing on a gravelly soil. It was able to find moisture, and 

 produce abundance of fodder quite independent of the weather. Only 

 last week, on a hill farm in Essex, I saw this plant behaving in exactly 

 the same way, and after two excellent mowings, the third crop was 

 keeping all the farm stock and producing a covert for partridges into 

 the bargain. From May to October horses fed upon it will become fat 

 and require no corn: whether as hay or green food there is nothing 

 better for a herd of dairy cows ; sheep of all ages thrive upon it, and 

 young lambs will never scour, as they often do when weaned upon tares. 

 Besides all this it is inexpensive to cultivate, and once started with a 

 good thick plant will last for many years. 



" A few hints with regard to the best treatment for lucerne may be 

 useful, and those given are derived from personal experience. There 

 are few soils on which lucerne will not thrive, but those of a warm and 

 calcareous nature are considered the best, and a cold retentive clay is 

 probably the worst. The land intended to be sown should be autumn 

 cultivated, cleaned thoroughly, and deeply ploughed or ridged for the 

 winter. It should not be ploughed in the spring, as a fine surface is 

 essential for a seed-bed. It may be sown with barley or oats, but I 

 should strongly advise otherwise, as the chances of a thick and even 

 plant are far better when sown alone. The first week in April is the 

 best time for planting, and the quantity of seed per acre should be at 



