290 THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



by hanging a sack or a board in the rear of the machine 1 , ;~> 

 as to clog the cylinder somewhat and cause a rubbing action, 

 which breaks the pods. The fanning mill will clean the 

 seed sufficiently for home use. As considerable seed remains 

 in the chaff, this should be scattered over pastures and 

 meadows which may be reseeded in this manner. 



LUCERN, or alfalfa, is the nearest substitute for clover that 

 we have. It is not however recommended for use where 

 clover will grow; but in the drier regions where clover will 

 not succeed, lucern is a most useful crop, and is exceedingly 

 productive under irrigation. It is mostly used green for 

 feeding cattle and horses, as it makes inferior hay, the stalks 

 being woody and hard, and most of the leaves being lost in 

 the curing. It is a deep rooted plant, and belongs to the same 

 botanical family as clover. The seed used per acre is 12 

 to 20 Ibs. The usual manner of sowing is in drills, 12 

 inches apart. As much as 80 tons of green fodder has been 

 cut from an acre of this plant, on the rich irrigated fields 

 of the California river bottoms and tule lands. 



RYE is one of the most useful green fodder crops, and is 

 indispensable when soiling is practiced, because it is the first 

 green crop that is ready for cutting in the spring. It is also 

 a valuable green manure crop for the same reason, as it may 

 be plowed under in May and can be followed by corn, or 

 buckwheat, for the same purpose. For green fodder three 

 to five bushels of seed per acre are sown late in August, so 

 as to get the crop well rooted and forward before winter. 

 In the Southern states this crop makes the best of late fall, 

 winter, and spring pasture; and deserves especial notice for 

 this purpose; for in the South, especially, improvement in 

 the culture of farm crops is exceedingly desirable and there 

 is an abounding necessity for it. 



FODDER CORN is the most productive of all the crops 

 grown for feeding in a green state. On good land it will 

 yield 40 tons of fresh fodder per acre and on moderately 

 good land 25 tons is a common yield. The author has 

 grown 600 Ibs. of evergreen sweet corn to the square rod, 

 which is equal to 48 tons per acre, and the whole crop was 



