156 THE SAINFOIN CROP. 



The vigorous roots of the plant ramify through the clefts 

 and vertical fissures of the subjacent rock, carry down 

 with them both the air and rain-water from above, and 

 abstract from them and bring up to the surface large sup- 

 plies of mineral food, for the purpose of supporting their 

 own development. Being fed off on the ground, the soil 

 becomes deeper every year, while the fibrous growth of 

 the crop holds it firmly together, and prevents its being 

 washed down to the valleys by the action of the winter's 

 rains. By the time the sainfoin crop ceases to continue 

 productive, a soil is generally formed sufficient for the cul- 

 tivation of our more shallow -rooting plants; barley, for 

 instance, follows it with great advantage, and rape or 

 mustard may take the place assigned to the cruciferous 

 crop. On the thin bare soils of the limestone formations 

 turnips rarely thrive, owing to the want of sufficient mois- 

 ture, whereas rape or mustard drilled pretty close say at 

 12 to 15 inches grow quickly up, and shelter the surface 

 from the effects of either the sun or the wind, and thus 

 materially check the evaporation, and retain the natural 

 moisture in the soil. 



In the preparation of the land for sainfoin, the same 

 care should be taken in thoroughly cleaning it of weeds 

 as has been recommended for lucerne. This, for a crop 

 which is intended to remain down for several years, is a 

 most important consideration, and cannot be too strictly 

 attended to. The soils and general agricultural conditions 

 under which it is grown, however, prevent the necessity 

 of that deep tillage which is so essential to the productive 

 development of lucerne. Here we have a far hardier plant 

 to deal with, less particular as to climate, and satisfied 

 with a very inferior class of soils. At the same time we 

 must recollect that although the feeding properties of the 

 two are about the same, the gross return per acre of the 

 lucerne is fully double that of the sainfoin. 



