Chap. IX. O F L U C E R N E. 349 



*' grow hard, and the lunder leaves will decay, and then the cattle 

 *' will not fo readily eat it. Where there is a quantity of this culti- 

 *' vated, fome of it (liould be cut before the flowers appear, other- 

 *' wife there will be too much to cut within a proper time. 



•' When Lucerne is made into hay, it will require a great dealof 

 ** making: for as the flalks are very fucculent, it mud be often 

 ** turned, and expofed a fortnight before it will be fit to houfej for 

 " this requires a longer time to make than fainfoin : therefore, 

 " when it is cut, it ihould be carried to make upon fome grafs" 

 " ground ; becaufe the earth in the intervals of the rows will walll 

 " up and mix with the hay in every fliower of rain ; and by car- 

 ** rying it off as foon as it is cut, the plants will llioot up again 

 *' foon : but it is not fo profitable for hay, as to cut green for all 

 *' forts of cattle, but efpecially horfes, which are extremely fond of 

 " it; and to them it will anfwer the purpofe of both hay and corn," 

 *' and they may be worked at the fame time jufl as much as when 

 ** they are fed with corn, or dry food." 



To the inftrucflions which Mr. Miller has here given for the ma- 

 nagement of lucerne, we fliall only add a few remarks of M. Du- 

 hamel, and then proceed to the experiments which fome of his 

 correfpondents, and particularly M. de Chateau- vieux, have made 

 upon the culture of this plant, according to the principles of the 

 new hufbandry. 



Lucerne, like fainfoin, may be cut, either before, or while it is 

 in bloom, or when the feed is ripe. The only things to be ob- 

 ferved are. 



1. That it makes the beft fodder, when cut before its lateral 

 fhoots come out, and confequently a good while before it bloflbnis. 



2. That the earlier it is cut, the fooner it produces a new crop. 



3. That lucerne requires more time to dry it into hay, than fain- 

 foin : but yet it mufl not be left long upon the field, left it fliould 

 heat, and damage the young flioots rifing for another crop. 



4. That rain hurts lucerne, when cut, more than it does fainfoin. 

 It fhould therefore be houfed as foon as it is dry: for this hay can- 

 not be preffed fo clofe together, in cocks, but that the water will 

 penetrate into it, and rot it. 



5. If lucerne grows yellow before it is in bloom, it is an almoft 

 certain fign that its root is attacked by fome infed: in the earth. •• 

 The beft way in this cafe is, to cut it down, that the grafs may not • 



be 



