410 Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 



level spot than on mountains or declivities. As much as possible 

 I would choose a situation sheltered by woods or hedges from the 

 cold winds in the winter and from burning breezes in the 

 summer." 



Tillage and Sowing. 



" The ground intended for lucern must be plowed twice before 

 winter, 15 inches, or at least a foot deep. 



" In the latter end of March you plow it again and dress it with 

 a harrow before the day of sowing. The seed is buried in the 

 ground by the harrow, taking care to fix chatwood or branches 

 under and betwixt the teeth in such a way as to facilitate the 

 covering of the feed without going too deep into the ground. 



" There are two ways for sowing the lucern. The first, by itself, 

 which is the best. The second, mixed with barley or oats, but 

 observe not to mix lucern with any other 'perennial. 



" Whether lucern is sown by itself, or mixed with barley, tal-e 

 20 pounds weight for an acre. If you choose to sow it with bar- 

 ley, take the exact measure of the quantity of barley which you 

 are used to sow upon one acre, then put in that measure 20 pounds 

 of lucern seed, fill it up afterward with the barley. That process 

 will establish the just proportion. 



" If you intend to sow lucern by itself, fill up the measure with 

 sand or ashes over the above-mentioned quantity of seed. That 

 method makes the sowing easier and more regular. 



" When your barley is ripe you may mow it as close as possible 

 to the ground without any danger of hurting the young plants 

 of your lucern, of which you cannot expect but a very indifferent 

 crop the first year. Don't let cattle feed upon it at that time. 



" The second year will give you two crops. In the beginning 

 of the third year, as soon as the winter is over, you must harrow 

 your lucern about two inches deep when the ground is yet moist, 

 in two or three different directions, in order to root out the weeds. 

 Never mind nor be uneasy if your lucern is torn to pieces by 

 that hard dressing. The more it is torn the better it will grow. 

 This is a fact of long experience upon which you may rely." 



Manure. 



" After the above dressing you may manure your lucern with 

 greater advantage by spreading over some new ground or mud 

 taken from creeks or swamps, or employ some pulverized gypsum. 



" The best manure for lucern which I know of is the dung of 



