LUCERNE. [MAY* 



stables and yard, the convenience will be much the 

 greater; but to chuse the best land on the farm is, 

 upon the whole, the best direction he can .have, 

 Those who at present cultivate rt on the largest 

 scale in Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, where are 

 to be found large quantities of it, very generally 

 have it in the broad-cast mode, and as far as posi- 

 tive practice goes, this method must be preferred, 

 but as effective cleaning it, and especially from in- 

 digenous grasses, is an object of great consequence, 

 executed when broad-cast by a powerful and heavy 

 harrow, it much deserves attention, whether drilling 

 very straight at nine inches equi-distant would not be 

 a preferable method. Drilling has been tried by many, 

 and abandoned for random sowing; but nineteen 

 twentieths of the drilled lucerne which I have seen, 

 have been at 18 inches, two feet, and some even at 

 three; the consequence of which has been, a heavy 

 expenceand trouble in reaping instead of mowing; 

 and if these spaces are kept truly clean, the lucerne 

 being damaged by the pulverized earth adhering to 

 it, and carried to the racks. If drilled at nine 

 inches, it might once a year be most effectively 

 1 /-hoed with Cook's scarifiers in the iron beam, 

 which would eradicate grass far better than any 

 harrowing that coulcl be given to a broad-cast crop, 

 without a formidable expcnce, and some dung' 

 Imaging the crop, tough as the roots are. The 

 grand object in the preparation of the ground is, 

 to have it as free from weeds, and especially g; 

 as skill and perseverance can effect. The crop of 



the 



