ST. JOHN S-DAY RYE, AND LUCERNE. 



121 



their diet, and given, instead of chaff, turnips, 

 cither the Swede or common Globe, and tlie 

 eflect is soon visible. The flesh becomes soft 

 and pufly — little work excites perspiration — in 

 fact, the animal is soon reduced from a state of 

 g(»od firm condition to one bordering on debility. 

 From the taking away tliose substances, beans 

 or acorns, wbicb possess in a maximum degree 



the richest albumen, and the supplying those 

 that contain it in the lov.'est degree, or minimum, 

 the albuminous principle exi.sts in several forms ; 

 and by it the living materiality of the animal 

 body is by a law of animal chemistrj' built, 

 under tlie guidance of immateriality. 



[Veterinarian. 



ST. JOHN'S-DAY RYE, AND LUCERNE, 



}IOW TO BE CULTIVATED FOR EARLY GREEN FOOD, 



The economy of American Husbandry, is, 

 according to our observ'ation, in few^ things more 

 deficient than in the common failure of farmers 

 to take measures of precaution to have an early 

 supply of green food for their stock, and espec- 

 ially for their workhorses and milch cows, at 

 that most trying and equivocal season of the 

 year, which falls in just between Winter and 

 Spring ; and which is yet neith^ the one nor 

 the other as respects temperature or vegetation ; 

 for even though the crop of hay, and of fodder, 

 may be reasonably abtmdant, and sufhcient, in 

 ordinary years, to last until " grass comes ;" yet 

 if the Winter should happen to be unusually 

 protJ-acted, it becomes impossible to eke out 

 their fodder until that time does come. In that 

 case the cattle are turned abroad to glean a 

 scanty supply of half-opened buds in the woods, 

 and of young grass which is insufficient in quan- 

 tity, substance and nourishment. This is the 

 time, and this the occasion, for the sagacious 

 Farmer to manifest his judgment and fore- 

 thought. In later Spring, and midsummer, any 

 sort of a manager may have sleek horses and 

 fat cattle ; but the sign and the honor of good 

 management consists in maintaining them in 

 uniform condition, or nearly so, throughout the 

 year. •'Well icintered^— half -summered" is the 

 motto of all good stock-masters. Thus it be- 

 comes important to determine the surest substi- 

 tute for short crops of hay, and the most succu- 

 lent, natural and wholesome food for Spring, 

 even thouirh hay should bo plenty. The best 

 reliance within our knowledge for a very early 

 supply of green food, coming tv.'0 weeks sooner 

 tlian clover, is Lucerne and Rye — both these 

 have we advocated repeatedly, through other 

 channels, but, unfortunately, no class of people 

 require to be so often reminded and urged to 

 any new and untried expedient, as do agricul- 

 turists — not that they are not quick enough to 

 catch a humbug as it flies along, as one of some 

 sort docs eveiy year, generally in tlie Spring, 



(2771 



such as calico-corn, California tobacco, Rohan 

 potatoes, &c. &c., but the tr'al of tliese requires 

 no great effort, and involve* but little additional 

 labor. Very different is it when it is proposed 

 to try an altogether new crop, for a particular 

 purpose, demanding care in the preparation of 

 the ground and otherwise a considerable de- 

 parture from the usual routine. 



Failures in a large portion of the few- attempts 

 that have been made, as far as we know, to em- 

 ploy Rye as a green crop for soling horses and 

 milch cows, at lea.st until the clover is sufficiently 

 advanced to take its place, have doubtless been 

 owing, in most instances, to waJit of care in 

 Ttiaiuiring and preparing tJw ground, by re- 

 ducing it to the finest state of pulverization, and 

 in not sowing early enough. The same may be 

 said of Lucerne — some contend that Lucerne is 

 apt to fail from the dryness of our Springs ; 

 though this may happen the first year, yet as it 

 is known to send down a longer and larger tap- 

 root than any other grass, and as all accounts, as 

 well they may, on that account, agree that it re- 

 quires a subsoil free from standing moisture. It 

 is probable that even cropis of Lucerne which 

 present the most unpromising appearance at the 

 close of the first year, might yet prove highly 

 profitable subsequently, and for many years, as 

 we have known them to do, and especially if 

 suitably top-dressed. Having yet seen nothing 

 to .shake our confidence in the value of these 

 grasses, if we may call them such, we shall per- 

 sist in recommending them, and in enforcing our 

 impressions by such illustrations as we may find 

 in American and European Agincultural jour- 

 nals. 



What we have here said is but preparatory 

 to the re-publication of papers from foreign pe- 

 riodicals of late date, in which both Lnccr-Tie 

 and a peculiar kind of Rye are recommended in 

 the strongest tenns for the purposes above named. 

 What there may be peculiar in the " St. John s- 

 day Rye," we know not, except from what is 



