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emphatically a child of the sun, and revels in a heat that would 

 destroy any other species of clover. But cold and moisture are 

 hurtful to it. On the rich, sandy lands of the South it is invalu- 

 able, and will grow luxuriantly, making enormous yields of hay. 

 Its nutritive constituents are almost identical with red clover, but 

 it has one property not possessed by the latter, and that is, it is 

 perennial. It does not stool as freely as red clover, and therefore 

 must be sown rather thicker. It will continue to furnish green 

 pasturage later than red clover. 



It does not grow well on any soil that has a hard pan, nor on 

 thin soils. To secure a stand, the ground must be in a thorough 

 state of tilth, well pulverized and mellow. A want of attention to 

 this requisite has caused many to be disappointed in the result. 

 But in well prepared, rich, gravelly or sandy loam, it succeeds re- 

 markably, sending down its long tap-roots many feet into the sub- 

 soil, pumping up moisture from below, and thus will thrive when 

 all other plants are drooping. In this respect it is far superior to 

 clover. For the latter, a suitable surface soil is of equal importance 

 with the subsoil, but for Lucerne a suitable subsoil is absolutely 

 necessary, as the roots are not fibrous, only rootlets shooting off 

 from the main tap-root. This tap root grows to be as large as a 

 carrot. This enormous quantity of roots permeating the ground t@ 

 the depth of several feet, necessarily prepares the land for increased 

 production, the leguminous plants deriving the larger part of their 

 sustenance from the atmosphere, and storing it in the roots ; so 

 that, as a fertilizer, it stands deservedly high. The soil is not only 

 fertilized to the amount of several tons per acre, but it is mellowed 

 from the mechanical displacement of the soil and the admixture of 

 decayed vegetable matter. As a prepartion for wheat it is equal to 

 clover, and for corn better. Besides, a large amount of the leaves 

 is necessarily strewn on the ground, and they shade it effectually. 



The seed of Lucerne is yellow and heavy, when good. If brown, 

 it has received too much heat in the mow, and if light colored, it 

 indicates that it was saved too green. And the same precautions 

 are necessary to be observed in regard to red clover. The time of 

 sowing is the same with the other species of clover, that is, spring 

 time. It should be sown in drills, and cultivated the first year, so 

 as to keep down the weeds. It is easily smothered. 



