246 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JouRNAL. [1 Aprit, 1902. 
48,888 ostriches in Oudtshoorn, and these are all entirely dependent on the 
lucerne. This represents about one-fifth of the total number of birds in all 
the other districts of the colony put together. Now selected birds (having 
feathers above the average of the ordinary stock of the country) will yield, on 
lucerne, at least £3 per plucking per bird, clear of marketing fees. As birds 
running on lucerne can be plucked regularly every eight months, without any 
damage to the wing, three pluckings can be got in two years, yielding a total 
of £9 per bird for two years. This is at the rate of £4 10s. per bird per 
annum. We may state that our birds have done considerably better than this, 
but their quality is considerably above the average. Since 1 acre of 
lucerne will carry five birds all the year round and each bird will yield at least 
£4 10s. per annum, we have a return of £22 10s. per acre per annum, less 5s. 
per acre. expenses water leading, leaving a clear profit of £22 5s. per acre per 
annnm from ostriches grazed on lucerne. This is between five and six times 
as much as from wheat-growing. Again, let us take the making of lucerne hay 
as compared with wheat-growing. One acre will yield from each cutting about 
13 to 1? tons of cured hay, which means about 8 tons of hay per acre 
per annum. But, to be quite within the mark, we take only 5 tons of 2,000 Ib. 
each per acre per annum. Lucerne hay sells in Port Elizabeth at from 
4s. to 5s. per 100 lb. ‘Take it at even 4s. per 100 Ib. average. At this 
price the 5 tons would realise £20. Deduct from this the expense of water 
leading at 5s. per acre, and expense of cutting and curing the 5 tons at 5s. 
per ton in stack. This would amount to £1 10s. expenses, which deducted 
from £20 (amount realised from sale of hay) would leave a clear profit of 
£18 10s. per acre per annum from making lucerne hay. This is from four to 
five times as much profit as is derived from wheat-growing, and in weight it is 
about two or three times as much hay as is obtained from 1 acre of oats. 
VaLuEe oF Ground UNDER LUCERNE. 
Even in Queensland and Victoria, where there are hundreds of thousands of 
acres of the most fertile grazing land, lucerne fields are found to be very valu- 
able. Ata recent auction sale of lucerne land at Bacchus Marsh, in Victoria, 
9 acres brought £40 per acre; 72 acres adjoining were sold at £60 an acre; 
92 acres at £38; 23 acres at £37; 40 acres at £30; 5 acres at £40; 44 acres 
at £41 10s.; 52 acres at £37 10s., and 174 acres at £40 an acre, being an 
average for 122 acres of a little over £37 per acre. If lucerne land is found to 
be so valuable in fertile Queensland and Victoria, how much more valuable 
ought it not to be in the arid Karroo, where it would be the means of saying 
hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of valuable stock during one severe 
drought. 
ithe average value of ground under lucerne in Oudtshoorn, with a fair 
water supply, is about £100 per morgen, or £50 per acre. Ground under 
lucerne on the Sunday’s River Estate has recently fetched at public auction £70 
per morgen, or about £35 per acre. The water supply on this estate is 
periodical, being flood water only. The water is diverted from Sunday’s River 
by means of several sneezewood weirs, about 5 feet high, across the river. 
ConontAL ExPERIENCE. 
We quote from the Agricultural Journal, Vol. VIII., No. 5, p. 121, Mr. 
Richard Gavin’s own words, giving the stock-carrying capacity of his little farm 
of only 95 morgen, in Oudtshoorn, most of which is under lucerne. Mr. Gavin 
says :—“ 1 may mention I was the first to farm with lucerne in these parts, 
having tried in 1863, and imported a quantity of seed in 1866, which cost landed 
2s. 6d. per lb. I had made thousands of pounds (out of it) before my neigh- 
bours took to it. Now, it is an acknowledged fact that lucerne has been the 
making of Oudtshoorn. As an example, I may mention that on my farm here 
of 95 morgen (about 201 acres) I have at present in prime condition, 105 oxen, 
‘17 cows and calves, 10 horses, 550 ostriches, and a lot of slaughter sheep, 
and have already saved about 20 tons of lucerne hay for winter, with about 
