FARMERS' REGISTER 



383 



lamed west. And though the soil has been mis- 

 nianaired and abused, a lew years of correct hus- 

 bandry would again resiore it to its pristine vahie 

 and imporiance. No critical niceties need to be 

 ot)served, no nicer labors than the blacks are 

 capable olperlbrminii:, are required to bring these 

 Jeasible soils again to lerlility. And when they 

 are brought to that state, there is no difficulty in 

 keeping iheni there. 



None ofthe various grasses are great e3?hausl- 

 ers of the soil, and grasses must (orm one of the 

 series of the rotation of crops. When lands are 

 kept hair the time m grass, the roots till the soil 

 with vegetable matter that turns to manure direct- 

 ly on being turned by the plough, and, by means 

 of raising more grass, more stock niay be kept, 

 and that increases the quantity of animal ma- 

 nures. 



The policy of raising so many acres of corn on 

 reduced land, must be abandoned. When more 

 buckwheat can be raised on the acre than is ob- 

 tained of Indian corn, it should be subsituted lor 

 corn in a great measure, for it requires not a sixth 

 part of the expense to produce it — and when buck- 

 wheat is raised for its grain, if proper care be taken 

 lo sow something with it that may be turned in 

 for a green crop in June, the land will prove more 

 productive, year after year. 



On the wet and clayey lands of that district of 

 country buckwheat may not be sown. Such lands 

 may be treated as we treat our grass lands of that 

 character at the north. They may be turned 

 over in autumn and seeded down again directly 

 to grass. 



ON THE CULTURE OF LUCERNE. 



From tlie Albany Cultivator. 



Respected friend, Jesse Buel — I some lime since 

 received a leiter from thy father, requesting me to 

 give him such information as I am possessed of 

 respecting the culture of lucerne; and thinking 

 thou wouldst like to have it, 1 have concluded to 

 send it to thee, as I think every farmer who has 

 land suitable for it, ought to have plenty of this 

 valuable grass. It requires a good deep soil, that 

 has not clay bottom. 1 have succeeded beyond 

 my expectation, and now find no more difficulty 

 in raising it than any other crop. In order lo pre- 

 pare the land (or it, spread plenty of unfermented 

 manure on if, and plough it in and plant corn, 

 which ought to be well managed, allowing no 

 weeds lo grow. After the corn is taken ofi', give 

 it a good deep ploughing, and let it remain in that 

 state until spring, if it be sown with barley; but 

 if with winter wheat, harrow it well, and collect 

 the roots and loose stones, and should there be 

 any last stones they ought lo be removed; then 

 spread about forty bushels of ground bones per 

 acre and harrow it in ; but if hones are not to be 

 obtained, any good rotten manure that has no 

 seeds of weeds in it, will answer it. And as it 

 is best to lay the land in ridges about '24 feet wide, 

 open a llirrow about 12 feet from the liince, and 

 let the near horse return in it ; then open another 

 in the same manner, 24 feet from it, and so conti- 

 nue until the whole is finished; then sow the 

 wheat and plough it iOj not very deep, filling the 



furrows which were opened, and harrow it once 

 over. As it is best to have it as smooth as may 

 be, I made a hone with a plank about nine leet 

 long, and two poles, pretty much the shape as 

 those we smooth our roads with ; and if it is not 

 heavy enough lay a post or two on it. It ought 

 to be so constructed as to draw the loose earth to- 

 wards the lijrrows. In the sprinff, about the time 

 clover seed is sown, sow about twenty pounds of 

 lucerne seed to the acre, and harrow it in with a 

 sharp, heavy iron-toolhed harrow twice over, once 

 each way, and roll it with a light roller, across the 

 ridges, to be drawn by one horse. After the grain 

 is taken off, let it remain in that state (not pas- 

 tured) until spring. Soon after the frost is out of 

 the ground, before it is much settled, harrow it 

 once each way with the heavy harrow. I had 

 mine pointed with steel. The harrow ought to be 

 made in two parts and hung together with hooks 

 and eyes ; then it can readily be lifted up on one 

 side by the driver, and cleared by a boy to accom- 

 pany him with a rake. It may be harrowed three 

 or four times over alter every mowing, remember- 

 ing to pick up the loose stones. The reason I re- 

 commended laying it in ridires is, because it can 

 be more readily smoothed with the hone. If it is 

 not smoothed, the harrow will not have the desired 

 effiect ; and the natural grasses are apt to get in. 

 I generally let mine stand until in blossom, when 

 it is designed for hay. I usually get three good 

 crops, and think the hay is belter for all kinds of 

 slock than any I have ever seen. My first crop 

 has sometimes been so large, that it is best to cut 

 it rather earlier, as it will sometimes lodge and may 

 injure the roots. 



As this grass requires more time to cure than 

 some others, I thought it might be well to inform 

 thee how I manage it. That which is cut in the 

 Ibrenoon, if the sun shines, may be turned with a 

 rake towards evening, but not opened ; and that 

 which is cut in the afternoon may remain until the 

 neM afternoon, before turning it. That which was 

 first turned ought to be turned the next Ibrenoon, 

 and put in cocks early in the afternoon, and let it 

 remain two nights in cocks; then open it and lay 

 the forkfuls separate, shaking it well, and if it 

 does not appear to be sufficiently cured after being 

 turned, put it up in cocks and let it remain one 

 night more. When the hay is housed, I generally 

 put half a bushel of salt to a load—say to about 

 fifteen hundred. 



As this grass, especially the first crop, is apt to 

 be very large, it is liable to be injured by heavy 

 rain when in cock. 1 would thereibre recommend 

 to those who raise it, to get a quantity of low- 

 priced yard-wide linen cloth, and give it a thin 

 covering wiih boiled lar, with a painter's brush, 

 on both sides, and sift some fine sand on it while 

 warm ; and when dry, cut it in squares and fasten 

 a small stone to each corner to prevent their blow- 

 ing ofi' the cocks. These cloihs cost but little,, and 

 with care will last many years, and may be very 

 useflil for other kinds of hay ; for want of them, 

 one of my neighbors had a large quantity of clo- 

 ver hay much injured. 



When the swaths are turned the second time, 

 let two be turned towards eacli otiier, then when 

 it is raked, the horse can walk between them, and 

 let a boy keep by the side of the horse, and when 

 the rake is full, let him open ihe swaths with a 

 fijrk, that the rake may readil}' enier. 



