THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
LO re 
The Fam, 
Cultivation of Lucerne. 
Jt is generally acmitted that our 
Incerne fields would be considerably bene- 
fited by regular cultivation. Bearing on 
this question, ‘The Cape Agicultural 
Journal’ publishes an interesting report 
of a field-trial of lucerne cultivators at 
_Cradcck. The necessity for an effective 
implement for this purpose is so fully 
realised at the Cape that two years ago 
the Cradock Agricultural Society cffered 
a prize of £20 for a lucerne cultivator, to 
be shown at work, This trial duly took 
place, but ihe machines did not do their 
work to the satisfaction of the growers. 
As a result, four gentlemen interested in 
luceine-groving each guaranteed to obtain 
£26 for a further trial. This was held in 
March, 1908, and 11 implements com- 
pleted, the £1C0 prize being awarded to 
“The Lucerne King, designated and 
manufactured specially for this contest 
by Mr L. Roberts, of Kroomie (Cape 
Colony). This machine is described as 
consisting of two gangs of spiked rollers 
following each other, and in turn fol- 
lowed by a spring-tooth harrow attach- - 
ment, which can be used or put out of 
zeticn by means ofa lever. Itis claimed 
that this implement will, on ordinary 
ground, give six to eight inches of perfect 
tilth. The other implements were made 
in the pattern of rotary discs or spikes 
or combinations of both. In. every case 
stress is laid on the fact that the imple- 
ment will thoroughly pulverize the soil 
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to a depth of several inches. The judges, 
in their report, expressed the opinion that 
the spring-tooth cultivator attachment 
to the winnng machine wasn 
and the price (£20) could therefore be re- 
duced. 
The Kansas Agricultural Experimental 
Station, after several years’ experimental 
work in disking of lucerne, reports :— 
“We recommend that every year the 
lucerne be disked early in the spring. 
e would a great deal prefer to have 
it disked in the spring before growth has 
started, but in 1401 we disked alfalfa 
when six inches high withcut injuring the 
plants. Disk immediately after each 
cutting thrcughout the season, no matter 
how often the alfalfa is cut. The disking 
will make the crowns throw cut many 
new shoots, will form an earth mulch 
over the land, preventing loss of water 
from the soil, and will kill weeds and 
crab-grass In dry, hot weather alfalfa 
should be disked when hay is removed, if 
possible, as a week’s exposure of the soii 
to the sun and winds without disking 
may cause the evaporation of an inch of 
Moisture. 
If the stand of alfalfa is fair to good, 
set the disks at the least angle at which 
they will turn the soil over, and weight 
the disk-harrow to make it cut into the 
crowns to a depth of two inches. If the 
alfalfa is old, and the growth of crab- 
grass thick. set the disks at as “gieat an 
angle as possible, and if this does not 
tear the soil and alfalva rocts pretty 
thoroughly, cross disk with the disks set 
the same es for the first harrowing. A 
disk-harrow will not hurt an old alfalva 
root and will usually do it much good. 
ot necessary» 
When disking the ground should b 
stirred and pulverised sufficiently to form. 
a good earth mulch two to three inches. 
thick. In mid-summer, on hard, dry 
soils, it may be necssary to disk and 
cross-disk to secure this result, On loose, 
sandy soils, a light disking or- 
even harrowing with a smoothing - 
harrow, may produce this mulch. Ag, 
stated under the previous heading, when- 
ever alfalfa does not thrive, cut it. Im- 
mediately after cutting the alfalfa, disk 
it, and did disk it thoroughly. If the 
the succeeding growth is not healthy, 
cut and disk again, and repeat these 
operations until a thrifty condition ig 
Secured. Unless Alfalfa is hopelessly 
injured through some cause, this treat- 
ment will put it in good shape.” 
When disking in the Spring, itis a good 
practice to apply a few cwts of manure 
such as bone-super, bone-dust, etc. 
ee 
Destruction of Charlock. 
Wherever charlock ‘grows plentifully 
in wheat fields considerable loss resulty 
to the farmer in that it smothera young ~ 
plants, but its effects are less manifest 
in early-sown than late-sown spring corn, 
It sucks the substance from the land, 
Its large exposure of leaf surface exhales 
so much moisture that it deprives the 
roots of a corresponding quantity, This. 
. is particularly apparent on light and dry 
soils, Seeds sown along with corn feel 
_ the pinch of competition when the char- 
lock has been yery severe. It is known 
to be a host of the finger-and-toe fungus. 
aud likewise the turnip-flea beetle and 
— 
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TWO DAYS. We givg. 
Wy. 
