64 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



The number of the lucerne plants should be less than those ot 

 saintfoin to an acre, because they grow much larger in this way 

 of management, and each occupies a greater space of ground, and 

 produces a larger quantity of hay. 



The quick growth of this plant requires that it should have 

 large supplies of nourishment, and good room to grow in; and it 

 is better in all things of this kind to err in setting the plants too 

 far distant, than in setting them too near. 



The most fatal diseases incident to lucerne are starving and 

 smothering; for this reason good cultivation is necessary to it, 

 and the often turning the earth with the hoe all about it. By 

 this means, a plant that in the common way of sowing would not 

 have been more than eight or nine inches high, will be four or 

 five feet, and will spread every way so as to produce a quantity 

 of hay, more like the cutting of a shrub than a plant. 



The plants should stand at five inches distance in single rows, 

 and the intervals between these rows must be left wide enough 

 for the use of the hoe plough, (if managed according to the 

 horse-hoe husbandry) ; but if hand hoed, one foot between the 

 rows will do: for which I will refer you to my experiments on 

 fallow crops, where you will find that by this method I had at 

 the rate of four tun lucerne hay per acre. But lucerne sown in 

 drills so near will in a few years meet in the rows, which will 

 hinder the mould being stirred, when it will starve for want of 

 nourishment, and thereby wear out. 



Lucerne is of much quicker growth than saintfoin, or any 

 other grass. I have cut it four times in a season, whereas the 

 others are seldom cut above twice. 



Lucerne is to be made into hay, the same as saintfoin or clover; 

 but this must be observed, that it is always to be cut just before 

 it comes to flower. It is a fine food, if cut for the cattle green, 

 it is so sweet and full of nourishment but it must be kept clean 

 from natural grass, as that soon choaks and kills it. 



Of the introduction of alfalfa into the Pacific coast 

 region we have less recorded. Naturally the people 

 of Spanish blood, settling California from Mexico, 

 brought their favorite farm seeds with them, seeds 

 of their best suited farm crops ; among these was ^ 

 alfalfa. Not much alfalfa was grown in California 

 by the Spanish colonists, enough probably to give 

 them credit for the introduction there, as they cer- 



