LUCERNE. 175 



chopped straw which is added to the corn given to horses. 

 An economical and common mixture of chop consists of two 

 parts of hay to one of straw. See Mr. Shaw's remarks on 



chop, page 181. 



LUCERNE. 



Lucerne, which is known as alfalfa in America, is a very 

 valuable food for horses, both green and as hay. It requires 

 dry ground, a warm aspect (preferably in England, ground 

 sloping to the south), and a permeable subsoil rich in lime, 

 which forms a particularly large percentage of the mineral 

 matter in this plant. As the roots descend to a great depth, 

 the absence of lime in the subsoil cannot be efficiently replaced 

 by lining the ground. Ten or twelve feet is not an unusual 

 length for the roots. Bonnet gives an instance of the main 

 root of a plant of lucerne being sixty feet long. 



Unfortunately, the necessary conditions of climate and soil 

 for the successful growth of lucerne, cannot always be obtained 

 in England. This fodder thrives best in climates like France, 

 Italy, Spain and the Argentine Republic. It grows well on 

 suitable soil in India, provided that it is frequently watered 

 during the dry weather. Owing to the great depth the roots 

 penetrate, it can bear drought better than any other plant of 

 its kind. Stebler and Schroter state that " if the district has 

 a heavy rainfall, the plant does not thrive at all. It may, in 

 fact, be assumed that lucerne cannot be successfully grown 

 wherever the annual rainfall exceeds 32 or 36 inches, even 

 though the soil is suitable in other respects. Not only is the 

 rain directly injurious, but weeds are favoured and obtain the 

 upper hand." I venture to think that this remark with respect 

 to the quantity of rain which is detrimental to the growth of 

 lucerne, holds good only with reference to temperate climates ; 

 for I have found in tropical countries, that this plant thrives 

 only with a frequent and liberal supply of water. In any case, 

 stagnant water is hurtful to it. 



