No. 9. 



On the Cultivation of Lucerne. 



293 



green food and hay. The Journal commence.s 

 on the 



13(/i September. — Mr. P.'s field of lucerne, 

 measuring one acre and a quarter, after soil- 

 ing two horses and a cow during the whole 

 of the summer, has already given three crops 

 of hay, to the estinmtod amount of 5 tons. 

 The fourth crop, now growing, measures two 

 feet in height, although but three weeks have 

 passed since the third crop was carried, and 

 it will be fit for the scythe by the 20th of the 

 present month. A fitlh crop on that part of 

 the field which has been mown for soiling, is 

 now a foot in height, and it is expected a fifth 

 crop might be taken from the other parts of 

 the field this season. 



2lst. — The fourth crop of lucerne, mown 

 this day for hay. 



24/A. — The hay carried in excellent condi- 

 tion; the weather havin? been dry and hot, 

 the only preparation requisite was to turn tlie 

 crop once only : equal in quantity to any of 

 the preceding cuttings. 



2Gth. — A portion of the field, from whence 

 gravel has been dug, and the part levelled, 

 has always dried up, after producing one crop 

 of hay, the sub-stratum being impenetrable; 

 that spot has this day been covered to the 

 depth of 5 inches with bank earth, prepara- 

 tory to trenching and re-sowing. 



Idth October. — The trenching of the gra- 

 velly spot has been delayed, but the shoots 

 of lucerne have penetrated the earth through 

 a depth of 5 inches, and it is now determined 

 to allow it to remain untrenched. 



23rd November. — A fifth crop will not 

 come to sufficient maturity for hay, the wea- 

 ther has of late been so cold and wet; but 

 there is excellent food for horses and cattle. 



1st February. — A portion of the field has 

 been pared off by the spade, removing the 

 grass and weeds with the tops of the lucerne 

 plants, to the depth of about an inch, accord- 

 ing to the Spanish mode of cleaning the lu- 

 cerne crops — this, by way experiment 



18</i March. — That part of the lucerne, 

 which was beheaded by the spade, begins to 

 show vigorous signs of life, although the wea- 

 tiier has been cold, with sharp frosts, since 

 the operation was performed. 



(Sill April. — The roots of lucerne, which 

 were left in the soil after amputation on the 

 1st of February, are now in full vigor; many 

 of the shoots are a foot in height, and remark- 

 ably .strong and healthy. 



8tA. — The gravelly spot is the best and 

 earliest part of the field ; scarcely an inch in 

 space without a shoot of lucerne of vigorous 

 growth. 



Wlh. — The crop from the amputated roots, 

 16 inches in height. 



Qlh May. — Commenced mowing the crop 

 of lucerne for soiling: a remarkably heavy 



crop, more than two feet in height: that on 

 the amputated part cfiual to any in the 

 field. 



ll//t. — The first crop mown for hay this 

 day. A space G feet square, taken as a fair 

 average, yielded* 23 pounds in weight as soon 

 as cut; after one day's expos-uro, it had lost 

 eight pounds in weight, showing that a gal- 

 lon of water had evaporated in 24 hours from 

 this small quantity of green crop. 



23rrf. — The hay carried in good condition, 

 not injured by five rainy day.s, the crop lying 

 light by means of its large .«taiks, requiring 

 only careful turning now and then. 



2(jth June. — A second crop mown for hay, 

 measuring 2 feet 8 inches in height. The 

 weather has been remarkably hot, the result 

 has been, a growth in the crop of 2 inches in 

 height every 24 hours the last 4 days. 



nth July. — The third crop of lucerne mea- 

 sures 17 inches in height: the weather is ex- 

 tremely hot and dry, all the meadows are 

 parched, and farmers are compelled to feed 

 their stock upon hay ; the lucerne grows 

 away as if it had a shower every night. 



227i(Y. — The crop on the gravelly spot has 

 again failed ; a first and second crop come 

 earlier and grow more vigorously on this part 

 of tho field than on any other, but after that, 

 it suffers for want of a depth of soil, affording 

 a familiar illustration of the parable of the 

 sower, (Matthew xiii. -5 and 6.) The seed 

 which fell on stony ground im»ierfia<eZy sprang 

 up, because it had not much depth of earth, 

 and consequently soon felt the influence of 

 the sun ; but when the sun was in full vigor, 

 it was parched, and for lack of nourishment, 

 withered away. 



1th August. — The third crop of lucerne 

 mown this day for hay. A very heavy crop, 

 many of the plants in blossom. From the 1st 

 to the 2nd cutting, 1 month and 15 days: 

 from the 2nd to the 3rd cutting, 1 month and 

 11 days; after this the field was rented to a 

 tenant. 



FIELD NO. 2. 



^th September. — A piece of land was sown 

 this day with lucerne .seed of the present sum- 

 mer's growth, unaccompanied with any crop. 



2(^th March. — The lucerne sown on the 

 .5th September, with seed of that .summer's 

 production, has stood the severity of the win- 

 ter, and the crop measures 6 inches in height 

 this day. 



4<A May. — Cut the first crop of lucerne 

 this day, 2 feet in height. 



14<A June. — A second crop mown this day, 

 equal to the first, 



14/A July. — The third crop mown this day, 

 26 inches in height. 



* Twftlve tons eight hundred and fifty-four pounds 

 per acre. 



