Chap. IX. O F L U C E R N E. 343 



*' in any confiderable quantity, tho' it is evident it will fucceed well 

 ** in England, being extremely hardy, and refifting the feverefl: cold 

 ** of our climate. As a proof of this, continues he, I muft beg 

 *' leave to mention that the feeds which have happened to be fcat- 

 " tered upon the ground in autumn, have come up, and the plants 

 *• have endured the co!d of a fevere winter, and made very flrong 

 " fhoots. 



" About the year 1 650, the feeds of this plant were brought over 

 *' from France, and fown in England : but whether for want of 

 •* fkill in its culture, whereby it did not fucceed, or that the people 

 " were fo fond of going on in their old beaten road, as not to try the 

 " experiment whether it would fucceed here or not, was the occa- 

 " fion of its being entirely neglefted in England, I cannot fay : but 

 ** it is very certain that it was negledied many years, fo as to be al- 

 " mofl forgotten. However, I hope, before I quit this article, to 

 " give fuch directions for its culture, as will encourage the people of 

 " England to make. farther trial of this valuable plant, which grows 

 " in the greatefl heat, and alfo in very cold countries, with this 

 " difference only, that in very hot countries, fuch as the Spanifli 

 " Weft-Indies, &c. where it is the chief fodder for their cattle at 

 ♦' this time, they cut it every week; whereas in cold countries it is 

 " feldom cut oftner that three or four times a year. And it is very 

 ** likely, that this plant will be of great fervice to the inhabitants of 

 •' Barbadoes, Jamaica, and the other hot iflands in the Weft-Indies, 

 ** where one of the greateft things they want is fodder for their 

 ** cattle ; fince by the account given of this plant by F. Feuille, it 

 "thrives exceedingly in the Spanifti Weft-Indies, particularly about 

 *' Lima, where they cut it every week, and bring it into the market 

 " to fell, and is there the only fodder cultivated. 



" It is alfo very common in Languedoc, Provence, and Dauphine, 

 •♦ and all over the banks of the Rhone, where it produces abundant- 

 *' ly, and may be mowed five or fix times in a year. Horfes, mules, 

 ♦* oxen and other domeftick cattle, love it exceedingly; but above 

 " all when it is green, if they are permitted to feed on it, and efpe- 

 " cially the black cattle, which will feed very kindly upon the dried 

 " plant, the excefs of which is, by many people, thqught to be very 

 *' dangerous : but it is faid to be exceeding good for milch cattle, to 

 " promote their quantity of milk; and it is alfo faid to agree with 

 " horfes the beft of all, tho' flieep, goats, and moft other cattle, will 

 " feed upon it, efpecially when young. 



" The 



