LEGUMINOS^. CLIX. Onobryciiis. 



303 



where there is a great depth of soil or mould. Marshal says, 

 that the poorest soils afford a large produce, and such as are 

 more rich and arable abundant crops. Still he conceives that it 



adopted a smaller quantity is used, from two to three bushels pet 

 acre. In Lincolnshire, where this plant is much grown, the 

 common allowance of seed is five bushels per acre. In that 



is only on calcareous soils, as the dry chalk and Hmestone, or county 4 pounds of trefoil-seed is recommended to be sown with 

 such as have been well impregnated with that sort of matter, each acre ofsaintfoin. The reason for which is, that in that ex- 

 tl)at it succeeds in a perfect manner, or becomes durable. In posed country, the young plants suffer more by the sun in sum- 

 sandy soils, as in Norfolk, which are unfit for any other pur- mer than by the frost in winter. Of course, the trefoil coming 



tf< 



to perfection in the first year, and living only three, will be a 



tons per acre of excellent hay, with an after grass extremely shelter for the young plants during the first year or two, and die 



valuable for weaning and keeping lambs. off when the satnlfoih wants its room. 



The best preparation which any soil fit for this plant can un- In the choice of saintfoin-seed it is the best practice for the cul- 



dergo is deep trenching, but the usual preparatory culture is the tivator to select it from the best and most abiding plants in his 



same as for clover, ploughing however deeper than ordinary, particular soil, as such as is purchased from the seed-shops can 



either by means of the trench plough, or by the common plough rarely be depended upon. The external signs of good seed arc, 



going twice in the same tract. Boys (Communications to the that the husk is of a bright colour, and the kernel plump, of a 



Board of Agriculture, vol. iii.) recommends as a preparation for light grey or blue colour, and sometimes of a shining black. The 



(/J 



seed may be good though the husk is black, which is owing 



land by sheep ; 2nd, barley to be sown very early, with clover sometimes to the letting it receive wet on the field. ^ If, when the 



seed ; 3rd, clover eaten off by sheep ; 4th, wheat ; 5th, turnips, kernel is cut across, it appears greenish and fresh, it is a certain 



Avith manure ; 6th, barley, with saintfohu The corn crops must sign that it is good. Seed of tlie former year's sowmg is always 



be carefully weeded, and in particular cleared of charlock. Under thej^est, as older seeds ^seldom vegetate^in a perfect maimer, 



this system, the produce has been great, and the ground has been . - ». -r . , *„ 



tn 



ifter culture and management of sain if i 

 casional dressings with manure, and in the judicious intervention 

 of mowing and pasturing. The first year some farmers do not 



mow it, while others do ; but the second year and the succeed- 



calculated for this species of soil. 



The season of sowing saintfoin ; it mt,^ , - - , " j i r 



earlier it can be put into the soil in spring the better, as from the ing summer a crop of hay may be taken, and the after grass be 



greater moisture of such soils at that season, there will be a fed down with any sort of stock but sheep till towards Decem- 



greater probability of their vegetating in a perfect manner; ber, care being taken that they do not eat it in too close a 



therefore the sowing of saintfoin seed should never be deferred manner, as where that is the case, from the largeness of the 



later than the beginning of March, and it is still better if roots, there may be danger of injuring the crowns of the plants, 



this work is completed in February. Some, however, think it In the following autumn there will, however, be less risk in this 



of sowing saintfi 



Marcl 



respect, and sheep as well as cattle stock may be turned in and 

 kept upon the pastures till they are well eaten down, being 

 cast, but it may^'be sown in drills, or even transplanted, though always careful to shut them up as early as possible in the begin- 

 neither of these modes can be recommended. Some advise its ning of the year. This is the opinion of Kent. And it is sup- 

 being sown with about half the quantity of barley, which is posed, that as this sort of herbage is considered to be miproved 

 annually sown for a full crop, that it may shade and keep it moist by being nipped by the frost, it may be a proper practice not to 

 during the first summer, and at the same time not injure it from turn stock upon these leys too early m the autumna season. 



■ ■ Where the W ' " ' . .^-k,_ .„ .i.r. 1 .k. i....- 



the crop being lighter, which is sometimes the ^-.^ . ^ r -n 



barley h drilled, the saintfoin may be put in afterwards in the end of September, when this sort of rouen or after grass will 

 same manner, but in a contrary direction. If sown over wheat, be found to have m^uch effect in promoting the^How ot milk m 



H should be harrowed in, and afterwards rolled. In whatever 

 manner it is sown, as the seeds are larger than those of many 

 other herbage plants, the ploughing the seed in with a very thin 

 or shallow furrow is recommended. In most cases, especially in 

 all the more light soils, in which this sort of crop is grown, the 

 use of the roller may be necessary immediately after the seed is 

 put into the ground. It is the practice in some districts to sow 

 a small portion of clover-seed with saintfoin^ with the idea of in- 

 creasing the first year's produce, but it is perhaps better to in- 

 crease the quantity of saintfoin-seed without mixing it with tl.at 

 ol any other, as diflferent kinds of herbage seed do not answer 

 J^ell when sown together, from there being a continual contest 

 'n their growth. It is, however, supposed by Marshal that such crop 



cows, as well as in forwarding the condition of fattening beasts, 

 great store of feed being still left for sheep. But with this sort 

 of stock they should not be too closely fed down, or the sheej) 

 remain too long upon them, as much injury may be sustained 

 by it. It has been suggested that all sort of cattle stock should 

 be removed by the beginning of the year from these roucns, 

 as much harm may be done by their continuing longer. 



In top dressing saintfoin, peat ashes are the best material that 

 can be made use of, where they can be procured in sufficient 

 quantity. And other sorts of ashes are likewise found beneficial 

 where these cannot be had. This should be applied so as to 

 form a thin, even, regular dressing over the whole surface of the 



In this view soot has also been found of great utility, 



a practice is beneficial in alternately procuring a fine clean crop 



mif 



be 



r^ ^"y necessity for having recourse to drills. It may, however, 

 ^ cu tivated in the latter mode with much success. And in 



when spread evenly over such leys in the beginning of January, 

 in the proportion of 25 to 30 bushels to the acre. Malt dust 

 has also been employed in the same way with considerable 

 success ; and it is supposed where these sorts of dressings can 

 ., ^ --..-... ... .uc .auer moae wun muca »uc.c»». .x... ... be applied every third or fourth year, the W/.m crops, when 



Norfolk it is tlie practice witli some cultivators to have it drilled well established m the soil, may be preserved ma state ot y- 

 «t nine inches apart across the barley field, which has been sown gorous growth for 10 or 15 years or more, and ^^e am be 

 •n the same way. but in a contrary direction considerably improved by the roots strikmg so deeply into it. 



n. „„„„,;,/'„""'/" ^ contrary direction. ^ _^ ^^ .^^ ^^ taldng and using the saintfoin crop, the same practice may 



be followed as for taking clover ; it may be mown for soiling or 

 hay or seed, and eaten on the spot by tethenng, hurdhug, or 

 common pasturing. In making it into hay, it is cut immediately 



^f 



ess J8 frequently given, but on soils proper for this plant that 

 flHantity is always necessary. But when the drill system is 



