FARMERS' REGISTER, 



323 



been tried in some instances with great success in 

 this country. It is nor, strictly speaking, a clover, 

 though in some le.-spects similar. It is [)ereniiial — 

 in lavorable soils, the roots are said to live and 

 fiounsh a hundred years. Its advantages consist 

 in afl'ording a greater amount oC Ibliage (or any 

 kind of slock, than any other plant, according to 

 the expenseoC producing it. Several years since, 

 while residing in the slate of Main^', we made se- 

 veral experiments with lucerne, which, although 

 some of them terminated untavorably, satisfied us 

 that the most favorable soil for it is a deep sandy 

 loam : and us the alluvial soils on this river are ge- 

 nerally of this character, we last spring resolved on 

 giving it a trial here. We procured lioni Boston, a 

 small quantity of seed, which was sown on the river 

 " bottom," the last week in May. As the soil had 

 been badly managed lor several years previous, we 

 bad feared that the great growth of *veeds would 

 check and smother the lucerne, and to guard 

 against this, and get a chance to extirpate the 

 weeds, we sowed the seed in drills. This was 

 done very expeditiously and exacily, with one of 

 Rugirles, Nourse & Mason's seed sowers. 



In the latter part of tlie month of July the lu- 

 cerne had reached the lioight of 18 inches on an 

 average, and had considerably blossomed. We 

 cut it and fed it green, partly to hogs and partly to 

 milch cows — both ate it voraciously. — In justy()U7- 

 weeks from ihe time it was cut, it had againgrovvn 

 to nearly the same height as before, and was cul 

 a secoml time — and the first of November it was 

 cut a third time — the crop being heavier than either 

 of the preceding. A piece of common red clover 

 {very fiourishing] immediately adjoining, the soil 

 precisely similar, did not yield near half as much 

 in proportion, as the lucerne. 



We have no doubt that it may be cut five times 

 another year and will yield at the rate of a ton 

 and a ha.il' ol' hay to the acre, at each cutting. 



AGRICULTURE OF FRANCE, 



(Continued from page 270.) 



Potatoes have not been long cultivated, even as 

 a garden crop, in France, and as a field crop to 

 any extent, or under irood management, they are 

 yet comparatively little known. The Lyonnois 

 was one of the first districts in France where they 

 were cultivated. At their introduction, they were 

 called white trufTles, from the root resembhng Ihe 

 truffle in form, and from their being dry, like a 

 truffle, out of the ground. It is computed, that 

 since this valuable root was brought into general 

 use in the Lyonnois, the consumption of corn has 

 been lessened one-third ; the inhabitants give 

 them to their cattle and poultry, and the poultry 

 of this district is highly celebrated. Soon after 

 M. Turorot was appointed inlendant of Limoges, 

 A. D. 1761, he iniroduced into his generality the 

 cultivaiion of potatoes. The people at first re- 

 garded this root with apprehension, or disdain, as 

 beneath the dignity of the human species; and 

 they were not reconciled to it, till the intendant 

 had caused it to be served at his own table, and to 

 the first class of citizens, and had introduced it 

 among the fashionable and rich. At present, a 

 vast quantity of potatoes, of a tolerably good qua- 



lity, are grown in the provinces of Poitou, Nor" 

 mandy, Limosin, Gaiinois, and the Isle of France, 

 as well as in less quantities in other districts. 



Cabbages are cultivaleii in French Flanders, 

 Alsace, and a lew other districts. In the neigh- 

 borhood of Sirasburg, particularly, this plant is 

 cultivated on a very extensive scale, but almost 

 entirely for the consumption of Holland and 

 Mentz, to which places it is calculated that cab- 

 bages to the value of above 30,000 crowns are sent 

 annually. In French Flanders, the brassica ar- 

 vensis of Limiasus, there called Colza, is cultivat- 

 ed in astonishing quantities by the farmers. There 

 are two kinds of colza, one called while colza, 

 because the leaves of the flower are white; the 

 other, cold colza, the leaves of which are larger 

 and thicker. It has this name, because it supports 

 better the rigors of winter. This plant is culti- 

 vated on rather a strong rich soil. There are two 

 modes of sowing it ; either in a nursery to be 

 transplanted, or in the usual mode. Tire white 

 colza requires less manure than the cold colza. 

 The seed is commonly ripe about the end of June 

 or July. The plant is cut with a sickle, having 

 a sharp edge. Colza, intended solely for winter 

 food, is sown in June, in a field prepared lor the 

 purpose; it is cut, and given to the catrle in the 

 course of the winter; and afterwards the stalks 

 are cut some inches above the surliice of the 

 earth, and they will furnish a second crop of leaves 

 m the spring. Colza furnishes the best oil that 

 can be extracted from the soil of the north. In 

 the central parts of France, the oil of walnuts 

 supplies the want of the colza, which is but little 

 culiivaied there. The mass remaining after the 

 extraction of the oil, makes a good winter food lor 

 cattle. The corn that is sown af^ier this plant is 

 generally both abundant, and of excellent qufility. 

 Rape is extensively cultivated in French Flan- 

 ders, Artois, &c., but not in the other districts of 

 the kingdom. The plants are raised on a small 

 quantity of ground that has been fijilowed, well 

 dunged and worked repeatedly by the binot or 

 plough. The rape is afterwards transplanted into 

 a field, that had formerly produced winter barley, 

 or winter wheat. The young plants are put into 

 the ground, either by the dibble, or by the plough. 

 Rape is grown eiiher as green food for sheep, or 

 for the sake of" the oil. The latter is the more 

 common, as well as the more profitable. In a 

 small circle round Lisle, there arc 450 windmills 

 lor extracting oil fiom the seeds produced in that 

 neighborhood. In the year 1810, the product was 

 estimated aslbllows: Isr, 180,000 pictolitres of oil, 

 at 109 francs each, in English money 817,5S0Z. ; 

 2d, The cakes valued at one-sixth part, 136.260/.; 

 the total value of the produce 953,840/. The crops 

 of wheat after rape in French Flanders, are reck- 

 oned to be better than those that are grown after 

 liillow. Poppies are also cultivated in the north- 

 ern districts of France for their oil. 



In the same district of France, where indeed 

 the most spiriled and successful airriculiure is car- 

 ried on, spurry (^spergula arvcnsis) is cuhivated. 

 Alter the crops have been reaped, the grain is 

 slightly ploughed and sown with ir. In October, 

 the cows are tethered on ir. The butter li-om the 

 milk thus obtained, is called speigula butler, and 

 it is employed for the use of the kitchen, as being 

 both cheaper and more profitable than any other 

 for that pirrpose. 



