Mr, John Stevens on Vvlieat^ Clover and Lucerne. 2 1 1 



place wanting, and, in the next place, the plants of thofe feed^ 

 which did vegetate, were nearly fulFocated by weeds. 



3. The luxuriant growth of the lucerne on No. 3, would 

 countenance a conclufion that lucerne may fucceed very well 

 when fown on barley xvithout clover. 



4. Upon the whole, thefe experiments, as far as they go, 

 indicate,that lucerne ought not to be fown d^^r/r in the leafon — 

 perhaps midfummer may prove the fittefi: time for fowing it. 

 That every care fhould be taken to render the ground as mellow 

 and as free from weeds as pofTible, and that therefore it would 

 be moft advifeable to prepare the ground the fucceeding year, 

 by a crop of potatoes, pumpkins, or other horfe hoed crop, 

 with which a generous coat of manure (hould be laid on, fo 

 as to fupercede the neceffity of manuring the lucerne, except, 

 perhaps, with a top dreffing of afhes, &;c. 



Perhaps no one fubjecl of rural ceconomy vvdll eventually 

 prove of more importance to the American agriculturifl than 

 the culture of lucerne. From the habits of the plant it appears 

 admirably fitted to our climate. It requires heat and endures 

 drought — And on a foil properly adapted to it, it will laft 

 from a dozen to twenty years in full perfection. 



I mean the enfuing fpring to make further experiments on 

 this noble plant, and to note minutely the progrefs of thofe 

 1 have already began — and hope I fhall be able to furniih the 

 fociety with a more fatisfa^lory detail of fads on this fubje61: 

 than is contained in the prefent memoir. 



