^^ti 



Ji. :i 



GHap.IX. L U C E R N E.' 3^3 



3 1 



of lucerne between each of the former rows; and expe<3:s that next 

 year wdll'yield him feveral goodcropsj which M. Duhamel thinks,, 

 he may depend on, if he can but get the better of the weeds. jj^.j-,-o ^■ 

 A gentleman at Montelimart in Dauphiny, writes as follows to 

 M. de Chateau-vieux. 



" In the autumn, I tranfplanted from a fpot of lucerne three years 

 " old, as many plants, as were requifite for a fpace of 48 fquare 

 " toifes made into beds. The middle of the beds was raifed very 

 " high, and I planted only a fingle row in each. The fifft .cutting 

 " yielded me one trufs of hay; the fecond, four; the third, fix. 

 " The fliocts of the lafh cutting were pretty tail, and feemed to be 

 " wanting only in number: that, without doubt, will come by and 

 " bye, when the roots fliall have multiplied and grown ftronger. I 

 " hope that the heat of this climate willnotftop their growth: for,; 

 " r take care to ftir the alleys as often as the lucerne is cut. . 



" A little later in the feafon, I planted 220 toifes more with 

 '« lucerne, which I watered, becaufe the weather was cold and dry, 

 " The plants fucceeded' very well, excepting a few which died.i 

 " The firil: cutting was very weak, the fecond, middhng ; and the 

 " third is now growing, it being but 17 days lince the laft was cut. 

 " Several of the fhoots are already 18 inches long. I have not yet 

 " dunged any of thefe.beds : but I intend to dung them all nexx 

 " winter, in order to quicken the growth of the plants, and give. 

 " them greater ftrength." 



The fame gentleman writes again to M. de Chateau-vieux, the 

 1 2th of September, 1755, to the following effeft. 



** I have already cut my lucerne in the new way, five times, and 

 '♦hope to have a fixth cutting towards the end of this month. As 

 «' the drought does not cripple my plants, but only retards their 

 •* growth for about a week, I cut them at the end of 25 days, when 

 " they were in full bloom : whereas, in this feafon, they require at 

 ♦' leall a month. The ftalks are full as iirong, and the leaves as 

 " large, as thofe of lucerne which are well dunged, and plentifully 

 " watered every fortnight. The only inconvenience I find, and that 

 <* not a great one, is,, that this lucerne is difficult to mow*, becaufe 



A a a " the 



* This- inconvenience, fays Tvl. dc Chateau-vieux, is but a fma!.}- hindrance. . I 

 mow my lucerne, and it ftands the fcythe vcrv well, efpecially the lecond year. A 

 few ftalks which may cfcape the fcythe, are of little confequencc ; and expert work- 

 men will leave but few, even of them. I have a plantation of lucerne ■■vliich is nj- 

 vyays cut with a fickle, though it would very well bear the fcythe. 'Ti',l3 I do, that, 

 fcy lofing none,. I may be able to judge the more exactly of its produce. 



