Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/220

 haust certain qualities or salts in the earth sooner than others, and so much so that though they may grow very well for one year they will not the next. I have noticed this particularly with tobacco, it seems to take more out of the ground than any other crop, but 1 believe the land can be renewed by "green manuring." It is a mistake to go on growing the same crop on the one piece of ground; change your crops. If this season you grow a root crop on a certain patch, next year grow a surface crop. If you have not tried it do so. Believe me you will not lose by it.

This is one of the best and favorite forage plants in districts where it will grow readily, but it requires a rich soil and very careful cultivation. On the banks of the Hunter, Hawkesbury, and several other rivers in New South Wales, it grows luxuriantly and forms one of the chief crops with the farmers, who make it into hay and also sell it in a green state for forage. After the periodical floods that devastate the land and leave a rich subsoil, the lucerne fields are a perfect picture; the refuse and mud that remains after the water has gone down seeming to contain the very qualities necessary for the fertility of the lucerne. If sown in drills from one to two feet apart about ten pounds of seed will be required per acre; but if sown broadcast about fifteen pounds must be allowed. Lucerne bears from four to six crops per annum according to the seasons, and being perennial, or almost so, it requires no renewing. It does not arrive at its full growth and strength till three years old. It should be cut before it gets too heavy, and cured like clover. But lucerne is a crop not worth growing unless it grows really well and the ground and climate suit it. In some parts of Queensland it is mere waste of time and ground to attempt it, for though it comes up and appears to thrive it becomes sticky, tough and not worth growing. The climate is too hot and too dry for it, save on the Downs and such places. In most of the other colonies it does well and repays the cultivation, though from the care, attention, and extra cultivation required, I would not advise small farmers to go in for it unless they are near to large centres of population and can sell it green.

For green feed this makes an excellent crop, particularly if you have a small enclosure you can devote entirely to it and only turn the sheep or cattle in for half an hour or an hour per day. It will grow in almost any well drained soil of fair strength and moderate depth. It does not require great depth of soil, in fact I have seen