Cultivation of Arabic Land. Lucern After-imnagtment of. 379 



cafe, &quot; a (him may be had recourfe to with the greateft benefit, as it may be drawn 

 fo clofcly to the plants as in a great meafure to fave the expenfe of hand-hoeing, 

 as in fuch cafes it will only be neceflary to extirpate the weeds or natural grafs 

 plants that may have efbiblifhed themfeives among the lucern plants in the rows, 

 which is capable of being effe&amp;lt;5led in a very complete manner by the ufe of a- 

 pronged hand-hoe.&quot;* It is further recommended by the fame cultivator, never by 

 any means to fufFer fields of this fort to become weedy, under the fuppofition that 

 the produce may not cut well, or be free from dull ; as, where it is of fufHciently 

 vigorous growth, and of a fuirable diftance in the rows according to the nature of 

 the land, there can be no reafon for fuch an injurious practice ; as it is only 

 where the planting is executed at larger diftances than the condition of the foils will 

 permit that any inconvenience can be experienced in this way. 



Where hand-hoeing is the method chiefly depended upon for keeping crops of 

 lucern in a proper (late of culture, much of the bufinefs may be performed by 

 women, or even children, and the expenfe be thus considerably leffened. 



When the foils on which this plant is grown are not of considerable fertility, the 

 occafional application of manure may be of great advantage in thickening and 

 increafing the quantity of crop. For this ufe clean well rotted dung is probably 

 by much the bed manure, as where earthy comports, allies, or foot are employed, 

 they are apt to promote the growth of; or bring up common grafles too much. The 

 latter are, however, fometimes fown over the crops in the winter feafon. The dung 

 is advifed by fome to be applied in the quantity of about Jwenty tons to the acre 

 every five or fix years.f Others, however, think it a better ^raclice to put a light 

 coat on annually in the early fpring feafon. J 



The culture of this fort of crop is obvioufly attended with confiderable ~xperfe, 

 both in its firft eftablifhment and the after-management which is neceffary to enfure 

 its fuccefs. The inexperienced cultivator mould not therefore commence this kind of 

 hufbandry too haftily, without confidering how far it may fuit his circumftances. 

 The additional expenfes in putting in this fort of crop, with thofe of the grain kind, 

 in the drill method, the neceflary annual charges afterwards, and the produce in 

 rhe fupporting of horfes, are (hown in one view below.^ 



* Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXV. i Ibid. J Kent s Hints. 



Extra Expense. . s. d. 



Two fpring ploughing extra, are - - - 18 



Jlarrowings ... - . 2 5 



Carried over . 1 &amp;lt;) 



3C 2 



