104 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



casualties. It should be cut before getting too heavy, and 

 cured like clover. Liquid manure is good for it, as are also 

 gypsum and ashes. B.irn yard manure is occasionally neces- 

 sary, but to avoid weeds, it must be thoroghly fermented to 

 destroy all the seeds. If is sometimes sown broad cast, but 

 the rapid progress of weeds, grass, &c. in the soil will soon 

 extirpate it if they aro suffered to grow ; and there is no other 

 means of effectually eradicating them but by cultivating the 

 lucern in drills, and the hoe and cultivator can then keep the 

 weeds in subjection. It is one of the most valuable plants 

 for soiling. From the care and attention required, the culti- 

 vation of lucern is properly limited to an advanced slate of 

 agriculture and a dense population, where labor is cheap and 

 products high. In the neighborhood of large cities it may ba 

 advantageously grown, and in all places where soiling is 

 practiced. 



SAIN-FOIN (Hedysarum onobiychis,) the csparcctte of the 

 French, is a native of the chalk soils of Europe and is adapt- 

 ed only to strong calcareous lands. On such it is a valuable 

 herbage, as the roots penetrate to a great depth and yield 

 large burdens of nutritious fodder. Though often attempted, 

 we are not aware that it has been raised to any extent in this 

 country. 



BOKHARA OK SWEET-SCENTED CLOVER (Melilotus major) 

 is a tall, shrub-like plant, growing to the height of 4 to 6 

 feet with branches whose extremities bear numerous small 

 white flowers of great fragrance. When full grown it is too 

 coarse for forage, but if thick and cut young it yields a pro- 

 fusion of green or winter fodder. It should be sown in the 

 spring with about 2 Ibs. of seed per acre, in drills 16 to 20 

 inches apart; it must be kept, clear of weeds and cultivated 

 like lucern. It requires a rich, mellow, loamy soil. There 

 are some other plants which might probably be introduced 

 into American husbandry for forage with decided advantage. 

 Among tin 



SITRKY (Hi>rrtfiil(i tirri'H.six.) !t is a hardy plant which 

 grows spontaneously in the middle states. Its chief merit 

 in its growing on soils too thin to bear clover. On 

 such it can be judiciously u>ed to bring them up to the clover 

 bearing point, from which the\ can he taken and carried for- 

 ward, much m.>r<: rapidly by the Hovers. Van Voght says^ 

 "it is better than red of white clover; the cows give n. 

 and better milk when li-il on it, and it improves the land in an 

 extraordinary degree. If the land is to lie several years in 



