114 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



implement in the highest terms, and then in- 

 form us that it can be obtained from them- 

 selves — but will conclude by stating that al- 



most any farmer familiar with tools (and all 

 fiu-mers ought to be) can make one without 

 difficulty. A IVIontgomery Farmer. 



From the (London) Mark-Lane Express.- 



THE GIANT SAINFOIN. 



Sir : Having received numerous commu- 

 nications from different parts of the Kingdom, 

 requesting farther information concerning the 

 Giant Sainfoin (as the introducer thereof has 

 styled it,) I avail myself of the opportunity 

 which your journal affords of replying to them 

 €71 masse, and in so doing I shall confine my- 

 self to what has passed beneath my own ob- 

 servation. 



The introduction of the variety, as your 

 reporter states, was purely accidental ; it was 

 clearly a foreign species, but although various 

 purchases of foreign seed have subsequently 

 been made, in hoi)es of obtaining the same 

 variety, they have hitherto proved unsuccess- 

 ful. It wa,s not until the year 1342 that my 

 fadier, who was the then tenant of the fami I 

 occupy, sufficiently overcame his skeptical 

 notions in reference to its peculiar properties 

 as a distinct species, as to induce him to give 

 it a fair trial. Then, however, he procured 

 of the introducer four bushels of seed, which 

 cost him 80s. per bushel. This was dibbled 

 between the rows of wheat sov^n ujion a pea 

 stubble ; and, the seed being expensive, care 

 was taken to drop only one seed in each hole, 

 at intervals of from three to four inches, by 

 which means nearly three acres were planted. 

 The stubble was left upon the land for pro- 

 tection during the winter, but beat down, 

 raked, and carted oft' in the spring. The 

 crop was good for a thin plant, antl would 

 have cut more than 30 cwts. per acre ; but 

 my father, hoping to get two crops of seed, 

 let it stand, which was injudicious, experi- 

 ence having proved that it is exceedingly te- 

 nacious of going to seed in a maiden croji ; 

 the second crop, although it went to seed 

 again, was too late to be successful. In 1844 

 the entire piece was mown for hay, and pro- 

 duced from five to six tons ; early in Se{>- 

 tember it was mown again for seed, which 

 produced about twenty bu.shels per acre. 

 This was sown in 1845 upon a red loam with 

 a chalk subsoil, after beans and peas, which 



had been well manm-ed for the same, at the- 

 rate (by way of tiial) of two, two and a half, 

 and three bushels per acre, upon about 2A.^ 

 acres of'land, which have this season produced 

 more than fifty tons of hay ; the part sown 

 the thickest answering the best. In August 

 it was mown again for seed, aaid subsequently 

 produced a good eddish for feed. The spe- 

 cies has now been tested in this and the ad- 

 joining parish for fifteen years, and the price 

 of the seed has varied during that period 

 from 509. to 80s. per bushel. It is quite 

 clear that it will, like lucei-n, produce three 

 crops for hay or soiling in one season, and the 

 food in either case is much more nutritious. 

 I have twelve acres, drilled last spring upon 

 pea-stubble wheat, at three bushels jier acre ;. 

 the wheat was very fine, and partially down,, 

 but the plant is good. I shall now introduce 

 it in i-egular course, sowing about twelve 

 acres in each season upon pea-stubble wheat,, 

 to remain tln-ee years, and then break up for 

 wheat, by which method your agricultural 

 readers will perceive that only the barley 

 crop will be sacrificed in one round. In this 

 way I shall obtain thirty-six acres for hay in 

 each year, antl thirty-six acres for seed, or for 

 second and thii-d crop, as may appear most 

 advisable. This will furnish nie with all the 

 hay I shall require, leaving my closes wholly 

 for sheep feed ; but whether this will prove 

 the more excellent mode of" turning tliis pe- 

 culiar variety to the best account, experience 

 alone can determine. I shall only add that I 

 have still a very large portion of my crop of 

 hay remaining, and a small quantity of the 

 seed in an unthreshed state, with thuty-.5ix 

 acres in plant, and should any of your read- 

 ers who are curious, or feel interested in the 

 cultivation of the plant, pay me a visit, I shall 

 be happy to see them, and will furnish them, 

 with any additional information I possess. 

 I am, Sir, your ob't serv't, JOSEPH HINE. 

 Neumkam, near Baldock, Feb. 19, 1847. 



To Prepare Beeswax.— To obtain wax, boil the combs in a strong muslin bag, m a 

 saucepan, with water sufficient to keep the bag from burning ; and while boiling, continue 

 to press the bag with a wooden slice or spoon, to extract the whole, as you skim off the wax. 

 Drop the wax mto cold water, where it will swim on the surface. The wax thus obtanied 

 will still want refining, to effect which, place it in a clean saucepan and melt it over a slow 

 fu-e. Then pour off the clear wax into proper vessels and let it cool. 



Nice Cream Crackers.— One pint cream, six eggs— beat the whites to a froth; if the 

 cream is sour a spooufull of saleratus must be used. ISlix the dough very stiff and pound U 

 half an hour. 

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