378 Cultivation of Arable Land. Luccrn After &quot;management of. 



five feet;* but in moft cafes, efpecially when the bufmefs is fo frequently done, 

 one that requires lefs draught may be adequate to the purpofe, as where fuch large 

 heavy harrows are employed, there is much danger of injuring the crowns of the 

 plants, and thereby caufing their destruction : whereas by the ufe of lighter ones 

 they are moflly much benefited from the mould being ftirred about their roots. 

 After thefe harro wings, as in the above cafe, the weeds mould be brought together 

 and removed from the ground. Where the crops are thin and patchy, feed in pro 

 portion to the deficiencies mould be fovvn over fuch places before the harrowings 

 commence each time. In every cafe the rollers fhould be applied immediately 

 after the operation has been performed, not only for the purpofe of preffing the 

 mould about the roots of the plant, but to render the furface perfectly level and fit 

 for the fcythe. 



In the broadcaft method of culture, where the produce is not to a confiderable 

 extent, it is probably better to feed the crop by light cattle flock in the autumn 

 than mow it. 



In the drill-fown luccrn fome recommend, where the rows are fufficiently evident 

 in the autumn feafon, after the grain has been fecured, the pafling of a fmall mim 

 between them, in order to extirpate all the weeds and grafiy materials, as well as 

 to loofen the mould about the roots of the plants, and, that they may be rendered 

 more perfectly clean, the hand-hoeing of the plants in the rows.f In the fucceed- 

 ing year flill more particular attention to the ufe of the fhim and hoe will bere- 

 quifite. The bufmefs fhould be begun as early as the ftateof the foils will fafely 

 admit of its being executed; being continued occafionally in fuch manner, dur 

 ing the whole fiimmer, as is fufficient for preferving the crops perfectly clean and 

 free from all forts of weeds. But in order to accomplifh this in the mofl complete 

 way, great circumfpection is necefTary, immediately after the lucern has been cut, to 

 the extirpation of the natural grafs plants and the weeds of other kinds, as at this 

 period they can be difcovered and removed with the greateft facility and difpatch. 



The crops raifed in the tranfplanted method, as they are put in fo late in the 

 fummer feafon, will demand but little regard in the autumn : one or at mofl two 

 flight hoeings may be fufficient for the purpofe. But in the following year s cul 

 ture the fame management will be proper as in the preceding cafe. 



Some advife it as a good rule in thefe cafes to give full hoeings, either of the 

 horfe or hand kinds, as foon as weeds appear, every time after the crops are taken 

 off. Jf the plants are perfectly ftraight in the rows^ which fhould always be the 

 * Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXV. f Ibid, 



