61d [Assembly 



must be sown more closely, say at the rate of six or seven bushels 

 to an acre. The sowing is generally done in spring, sometimes 

 early in autumn. If the seed is a year old it is not liable to 

 vegetate. 



Serradilla (ornithopus sativus), an annual from Germany, em- 

 ployed in Portugal as an artificial forage in dry sandy soils, where 

 it affords an early pasturage for cattle. As it is somewhat tender, 

 it probably would only answer for our southern, or, perhaps, the 

 middle States. From its fine quality and great productiveness it 

 is desirable to experiment with as far north as it would be likely 

 to grow, when it would be better to sow it in spring with other 

 grain, in order to obtain in autumn a green crop, or cut it for hay. 



Heracleum Sibiricum (Berce de Siberie), a perennial from Ger- 

 many, producing a very abundant early green forage. It is sown 

 in autumn and comes up the following spring. 



C/dlianClover, or Alfalfa (medicago sativa), from Chili, a peren- 

 nial variety of lucerne, which succeeds well in our middle and 

 southern States. It differs from the common lucerne of Europe 

 only in the color of its flowers, which are purple. It is sown in 

 autumn in drills in a deep rich soil, producing good forage for 

 animals, either green or dry, the following summer, and will en- 

 dure for many years. Deep culture is absolutely necessary, in 

 order to allow the extension of the roots into the earth. 



Yellow or Black Trefoil (medicago lupulina), a biennial from 

 England, at present considerably cultivated in the central parts 

 of France. One of its advantages is, that it grows well in dry 

 and inferior soils. Its forage, though less abundant than other 

 trefoils or clovers, is of fine and good quality, and not dangerous 

 to cattle when eaten green, in producing hoven. It is much 

 more valuable, however, for an early sheep pasture than to con- 

 vert it into hay. It may be sown in March or April like spring 

 grains. 



Cow Grass, or Perennial clover (trifolium medium vel perenne), 

 from England, usually sown among other grass seeds for a per- 

 manency, but not with the common red clover. 



