Subject: Tagasaste - hardiness info & sources for seeds needed

From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 23:57:09 -0500 (EST)

I got a call from [email-masked] wanting to know where to obtain
seeds for Tagasaste for establishing fields of this shrub on a ranch
in Northern Montana.

If anyone has such info couild they post it here and email it to:
[email-masked]

I have heard that it is cold hardy and that it is not. I don't
have any references for supplies of seeds though.

Here is some limited info on Tagasaste from my archives:
--------------------------------------------------------

Dr Laurie Snook, an agricultural researcher, has written a book
about Tagasaste. Tagasaste is a hardy, leguminous shrub. In
temperate climates it can provide heavy yields of nutritious green
fodder for grazing animals.

Tagasaste fodder can be an important base for aquaculture. It
provides a high-protein feedstock for fish food from worm farms
and snail farms, and for freshwater crustacea. 

The shrub is being exploited in dryland Australia for high- protein
fodder. Even when grown on poor coastal sands tagasaste (correctly
fertilised) can produce high yields of edible dry matter containing
23% to 27% crude protein and only 18% to 24% indigestible crude
fibre.

Australian farmers now growing tagasaste are reporting these
additional benefits:

* Shade and shelter for livestock during climate stress. 
* Wind and water erosion control. 
* Increased soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. 
* Reductions in water tables causing salinity problems. 
* Habitat for native birds that eat pasture and crop pests. 
* Green firebreaks around homesteads and along boundary fences. 
* Winter nectar for bees. 
* Reduced internal parasite problems as shrub fodder is browsed
above pasture that harbours dung-borne worm eggs. 

Many Australian farmers are now following this revolution as soil
salinity and soil acidity problems make browse shrubs a most
sensible way to go in improving landcare.
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From: YankeePerm <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 12:11:17 EST

In a message dated 1/8/98 12:01:42 AM, you wrote:

<<

Hi Larry:

We bought some seeds, I think from J L Hudson, and had zero success at
germination.  Either the seed was old or we didn't scarify it right.  In the
latter case, we should have gotten a little germination, at least.

I'm really interested in a source of seedlings, to side step the issue and get
into production.  This would be a perfect woodn N fixer here, being on the
warm margin for Robinia psuedoacacia and on the cold margin for most useful
acacias and certainly for ipil ipil.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since 1982),
Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and now correspondence
courses via email.  One is now underway.  Next Live program:  Paraguay,
8/10-22/98. Internships available. Copyright, 1997, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway,
P.O. Box 52, Sparr FL 32192 USA  [email-masked]  

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html