LUC 



LUBRICATION. Anointing with 

 greasp and oils. 



LUCAMA. A Chilian fruit rescm- 

 bhng, in size and flavour, a poach. 



Li:CANID/E, LUCANINES. A 

 family of coleopterous lameliicorn in- 

 sects, of the stag beetle kind (Lm- 

 cawH.v). 



LUCERN. Medicago saliva {Fig.). 



Grand trefoil, French clover, alfalfa, 

 Brazilian clover. A perennial, herba- 

 ceous forage plant of the clover family. 

 It forms a very long, vigorous root, 

 and requires a deep, rich soil, with 

 some lime, for cultivation. It is oft- 

 en cut, year by year, for six and ten 

 years, and yields, in three cuttings 

 each season, from six to eight tons 

 of excellent fodder, equal to the best 

 clover. An acre soiled will supply 

 three to four cows during the season. 

 It grows eighteen to thirty inches 

 high, and bears a purple flower, and 

 possesses all the good qualities of 

 clover in addition to its preference 

 for a dry, warm climate. Fifteen to 

 twenty pounds of seed are sown 

 broad-cast, with a few oats, early in 

 spring ; but the lucern does not reach 

 perfection until the third year ; the 

 land must therefore be harrowed and 

 rolled to keep down weeds. It is not 

 quite as hardy as clover. The vari- 

 eties of lucern are unimportant. The 

 seed is collected and hay made in the 

 same manner as with clover : but it 

 is best for soUing cut always when 

 470 



LUN 



the flowers first show, as the stems 

 become rigid. Sometimes the seed 

 is dnlled in rows, at nine inches 

 apart, and in this way sooner comes 

 to perfection, and less seed is want- 

 ed. Like clover, it is much benefit- 

 ed by plaster of Paris and lime. It 

 will grow even in tropical countries 

 which are not too parched. On lands 

 where it is fully established, the soil 

 should be forked twice a year, after 

 cutting, and a top-dressing applied 

 every second or third season : it must 

 never be depastured ; eighty pounds 

 per day of fresh lucern is enough for 

 a cow, and produces an abundance 

 of milk. 



LUCERN, ASHES OF. One hun 

 dred pounds green yield 258 pounds, 

 and one hundred pounds dried 955 

 pounds, consisting of 



Sprcng-et. 



Potash 13-40 



Soda 615 



Lime 4831 



Magnesia 3-48 



Phosphoric acid .... 1307 



Sulpliuric acid 4'04 



Chloiin 318 



Sihca . 3"30 



Iron, alumina, &c. . . . 0-60 



95-53 



From this we see why gypsum, lime, 

 marl, and ashes are so serviceable to 

 lucern. Bone-dust and salt are also 

 to be considered as manures for it. 



LUG. A pole of land, 16^ feet ; a 

 vulgar term for the ear of animals. 



LUMBAR, LUMBALIS. Belong- 

 ing to the loins. 



LUMBER. Timber, especially in 

 the rough state. 



LUMBRICUS. The generic name 

 of worms resembling the earth worm ; 

 some species infest the bodies of an- 

 imals. The earth worm, when not 

 too numerous, tend to improve the 

 soil by their castings ; when over nu- 

 merous, they eat the roots of plants, 

 and may be destroyed by a heavy 

 salting (twenty bushels to the acre), 

 or liming, with a summer fallow. 



LUNAR CAUSTIC, LUNAR 

 CORNEA. Prepared nitrate of silver, 

 sold in thin cylinders, and used as a 

 caustic : it is one of the best caustics. 

 A solution is very valuable as a lotion 

 in some forms of inflammation. 



