168 



LEGUMINOS/E. LXV. MEDICAGO. 



cordate, with a prominent radicle. I/ . H. Native of the Pyre- 

 nees. Flowers at first rather violaceous, but at length becom- 

 ing yellow. 



iSnjfruticose Lucern. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1820. PI. prostrate. 



11 M. AUBOREA (Lin. spec. 1096.) vilJous, shrubby; leaflets 

 obovate-cortlate, nearly entire ; stipulas linear, acute, entire ; 

 peduncles racemose; legumes stipitate, tuisted, reticulated 

 from transverse veins, 2-,'i-seeded ; seeds somewhat kidney- 

 shaped. Tj F- Native of Italy. Lob. icon. 2. p. 46. 



TVeeMedick. Fl. May, Nov. Clt. 1596. Shrub 6 to 8 feet. 



12 M. SIBI'RICA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 173.) stems herbaceous, 

 villous at the apex ; leaflets obovate-rounclisb, ciliated, a little 

 toothed ; stipulas broad, semi-ovate, acuminated, toothed on the 

 outside ; spikes oblong, crowded ; cnlycine segments setaceous, 

 unequal ; legume lenticular, rather villous. Q. H. Native of 

 Siberia. Melilotus Sibfrica, Poir. suppl. 3. p. 647. Flowers 

 small, yellow. Calyx at length cleft on the upper side. 



Siberian Tuucern. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1817. PI. prostrate. 



13 M. ME'DIA (Pers. ench. 2. p. 356.) stems ascending; leaf- 

 lets linear-cuncated, retuse, toothed at the apex, pilose beneath ; 

 peduncles corymbose ; flowers pale-blue, at length yellow. If. . 

 H. Native of Europe, in meadows, on hills, and in divisions of 

 fields. M. falcata, Lam. diet. 3. p. 639. Perhaps only a variety 

 of J\f. suCtta. 



Intermediate Lucern. Fl. Ju. July. Clt. 1817. PL 1 to 2 ft. 



14 M. SATI VA (Lin. spec. 1096.) stems erect, glabrous ; leaf- 

 lets obovate-oblong, toothed, mucronate ; stipulas lanceolate, 

 somewhat toothed ; peduncles racemose ; legumes smooth, coch- 

 leately-twisted, finely reticulated; seeds flat, irregularly-ovate 

 or irregularly cordate, brownish. If.. H. Native of Spain, but 

 now cultivated throughout Europe in fields. In Britain, but 

 hardly a native. Smith, engl. hot. 1 749. Mart. rust. 48 Clus. 

 hist. 2. p. 242. Flowers large, violet. 



Lucern or medick is highly extolled by Roman writers ; it is 

 much grown in Persia and Lima, and mown in both countries 

 all the year round ; it is also of unknown antiquity in old Spain, 

 Italy, and the south of France. It was introduced, according to 

 Miller, from the latter country in 1657. It is now only culti- 

 vated in a few places, and chiefly in Kent. Columella estimated 

 lucern as the choicest of all fodders, because it lasted many years, 

 and bore being cut down 4 or 5 times every year. About three 

 quarters of an acre of it is, he thinks, sufficient to feed three 

 horses during the whole year. But though it was so much 

 esteemed by the ancients, and has been long cultivated to advan- 

 tage in France and Switzerland, it has yet found no great recep- 

 tion in this country. Where the climate and soil suit, a field of 

 it perhaps may be advantageously sown to afford early cutting 

 or food for young or sick animals, for which it is said to 

 be well adapted ; but though it will produce good crops for 8 

 or 10 successive years, yet from the time the farmer must 

 wait till this crop attains its perfection, and from the care 

 requisite to keep it from grass and weeds, it is not likely that 

 the plant will ever come into general culture in this country. 

 Lucern has been observed to thrive best in dry, sandy, chalky, 

 marly or gravelly soils ; in short, all soils that are good 

 enough for wheat, and dry enough for turnips, to he fed on the 

 land, do well for Iticern. The latter end of March is the best 

 time for sowing lucern seed, which will allow the plants to be 

 fully established before the hot months. If the plants be in- 

 tended to be transplanted out in the garden method, it will also 

 be the best practice to sow the seed-bed as early in the spring as 

 the frosts will admit, in order that they may be strong enough 

 and fit to set out early in August. Lucern may be either sown 

 broad-cast or in drills, and either with or without an accompany- 

 ing crop of corn the first year. Broad-cast and a very thin crop 

 of barley or other spring crop is generally preferred. Drilling, 



however, at nine inches apart, perhaps has many advantages over 

 the broad-cast method, especially as far as regards keeping the. 

 crop clean and free from weeds. The quantity of seed required 

 in the broad-cast method is said to be 15 to 20 pounds per acre, 

 and from 8 to 12 if drilled. The same depth of covering as for 

 clover will answer. Transplanting is sometimes resorted to, but 

 it does not seem to us adviseable, unless for filling up blanks. 

 The after culture of lucern, sown broad-cast, consists in harrow- 

 ing to destroy weeds, rolling after the harrowing to smooth the 

 soil for the scythe, and such occasional top-dressings of manure 

 as the state of the plants may seem to require. Where lucern 

 is drilled horse-hoeing may be substituted for harrowing, which 

 is, as already observed, the only advantage of this mode of 

 sowing. Lucern frequently attains a sufficient height for the 

 scythe towards the end of April, and in soils that are favourable 

 for its culture will be in a state of readiness for a second cutting 

 in the course of six weeks longer, being capable of undergoing 

 the same operation at nearly similar distances of time during the 

 whole of the summer season. The application of Itn-erit is 

 nearly the same as clover, the principal practice in its applica- 

 tion is that of soiling horses, neat cattle, and hogs ; but as 

 a dry fodder it is also capable of affording much assistance, and 

 as an early food for ewes and lambs may be of great value in 

 particular cases. All agree in extolling it as a food for cows, 

 whether in a green or dried state. It is said to be much supe- 

 rior to clover, both in increasing milk and butter, and improving 

 their flavour. Care must be taken not to give the animals too much 

 of it in a green state, as they may be hoven or blown with it as 

 with clover. The produce of lucern may be estimated as equal 

 in bulk and value to a crop of red clover. The nutritive pro- 

 duct of lucern, according to Sir H. Davy, is 2 T 3 ff per cent. ; as to 

 that of clover and saintfoin, as 23 to 39. The diseases of lucern 

 are the same as those of clover, and the manner of saving seed 

 the same. 



Jar. ft, rcrs'icolor (Ser. mss. D. C. prod. 2. p. 173.) flowers 

 yellow and blue on the same plant. M. falcata versicolor, Wallr. 

 sched. crit. p. 398. M. luteo-coerulea, Hortul. 



Cultivated Lucern. Fl. June, Aug. Britain. PI. 2 feet. 



15 M. PROSTRA'TA (Jacq. hort. vind. 1. p. 39. t. 89.) stems 

 prostrate ; leaflets linear, toothed at the apex ; stipulas linear- 

 subulate, toothed at the base, and having numerous parallel 

 nerves ; peduncles racemose ; legumes smooth, cochleately- 

 twisted, finely reticulated, 2-seeded ; seeds exactly reniform, 

 black. l/.H. Native of Hungary, Willd. spec. 3. p. 1405. 

 M. declinata, Kit. in lift. Allied to M.falcalu, but the legume 

 is more twisted and much smaller. Flowers yellow. 



Prostrate Lucern. Fl. June, Jul. Clt. 1793. PI. prostrate. 



16 M. INTEUME'DIA (Schult. obs. p. ICO.) stem procumbent; 

 leaflets linear, obcordate, rather serrulated at the apex ; stipulas 

 sagittate ; peduncles bearing corymbose racemes ; legumes fal- 

 cate, rather pubescent. 3.H. Native of Galicia. 



Intermediate Lucern. PI. procumbent. 



17 M. GLOMERA'TA (Balb. elench. 93. D. C. fl. fr. 4. p. 540.) 

 stems erectish ; leaflets obovate-oblong, cuneiform, emarginate, 

 and mucronate, hardly toothed ; stipulas lanceolate, acute, hardly 

 toothed at the base ; peduncles racemose ; legumes twisted, ob- 

 scurelv and reticulately veined, pubescent ; seed oblong-reniform, 

 brownish. I/ . H. Native of the mountains of Tenda, near 

 Barrn, and on hills about Turin. 



G/oiera/e-flowered Lucern. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1 81 7. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



18 M. GLUTINOSA (Bieb. casp. p. 191. append, no. 60. fl. taur. 

 2. p. 224. et suppl. 516.) clothed with clammy hairs ; stems 

 ascending ; leaflets obovate-cuneiform, somewhat retuse, pilose, 

 obsolete!}' toothed ; stipulas lanceolate, toothed a little at the 

 base ; peduncles racemose ; calycine segments broad at the 

 base, length of tube ; legume twisted, cochleate, reticulately 



