54 



'1' H E NEW (i E N E S E E FARMER, 



Vol. U- 



Lueerue, or French I'lover. 



A correspondent asks for information respecting 

 Lucerne, particularly whether any experiments have 

 been made with it in this section of country. We 

 wish some of our friends would give us information on 

 this subject; in the mean lime the following selections 

 afford the beat answer we can give our friend at pre- 

 sent. 



"I have read with great interest the letter of Mr. 

 John Lowell, in the Monthly Genesee Farmer of No- 

 vember last, and quite concur with him in his opinion 

 of the value of Lucerne. My imprestion is that two 

 or three acres of it used for soiling Cattle, would add 

 one-third to the produce of a farm of one hundred acres, 

 both from the greater number of Cntilc that could be 

 kept on the farm, and the larger tiuantity of manure 

 that coiUd in consequence be made, so that its iinod ef- 

 fects would be seen in all the crops. I beg to offer you 

 the result of my experience in cultivating it hiTc. 



The very rapid growth of weeds in this country is a 

 very great difficulty in the way of the culcivation of 

 Clover ; so much so, that I have found it impossible to 

 grow it in drills, as the practice is in England. I sow- 

 ed three quarters of an acre of it in drills in 18'M ; in 

 1835 it cost me $53 to weed the crop, yet in X8o7 half 

 of it was already choked by the growth of grass, clo- 

 ver,and other herbs. Part of it too was killed in hol- 

 lows where the water lodged in winter. Seeing the 

 culture by drills so unsuccessful, I sowed some Lu- 

 cerne seed broadcast and thickly, in a stjunrc jilot of 

 sandy loam, in my garden, on the 19th of July, 1836. 

 In two months after it was sown I pulled out a root, 

 which then measured iiU inches from the top of the 

 leaves to the point of the root. In 1837, it was cut on 

 llie 9th of June, and on the 9th of every subsequent 

 month to October, growing in each month about 18 in- 

 ches. It was cut also live times in 1838, and if the 

 spring had not been so cold, I think it would have 

 been ht to cut by the middle of May, as it began to 

 sprout in April, but was choked by the cold ; the tem- 

 perature having decreased in the latter half of the 

 month of April. The conclusions which my e.xperi- 

 cnce seems to afford, are the following : Ist. That 

 Lucerne should be thickly sown, (Mr. John Lowell 

 says 20 lbs. to an acre,) upon sand or sandy loam, with 

 elopes tiuffieient to carry off water, and without hol- 

 lows in which water can lodge. 2d. That in order 

 to prevent grass and weeds creeping into the Lucerne, 

 there should be a border round it of 5, 6, ormore yards 

 in width, in which should be grown every year, man 

 gel wurtzel, potatoes, or other roots which require the 

 soil to be well weeded. 



Lucerne would be best, preceeded the previous year 

 by a crop of potatoes to prepare the land, and as it needs 

 not be sown till the end of May or early in June, the 

 land might be ploughed once or twice previous to the 

 sowing. 



Lucerne will grow vigorously on pure sand ; for a 

 gentleman who has recently resided at Dunkirk in 

 France, tells me he was surprised to see its great growth 

 on the pure sands adjoining that town. 



I have known Lucerne to continue to grow for six- 

 teen years in England. 



Genesee Fatmtr. 



The following Dialogue is from the pen of the au- 

 thor who furnished those published in our previous 

 numbers. We take it from the "Cabinet of Agricul- 

 tural Knowledge." 



We are happy to announce that the author of those 

 interesting dialogues is about to publish them in book 

 form, revised and enlarged. The book will be a valua- 

 ble one in every Farmer's family. — Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Dialogue between a Father and Son-Lucerne. 



Frank. — Father, you said you would tell me more 

 about the Island of Jersey — since then, I have seen 

 an account of the growth and produce of Lucerne — a 

 crop which you say grows there — which is truly aston- 

 ishing. I find that it yields four crops for hay during 

 the summer, and after that, abundance of feed for 

 cows and sheep. Is it a species of meadow grass or 

 clover 1 



Father. — It is much like a narrow leaved clover, but 

 the blossom is very unlike, being of a beautiful blue 

 color. The growth and produce is, as you sny, truly 

 astonishing; and having had repeated opportunity to 

 make myself acquainted with the crop in every stage 

 of its growth, from its cultivation, I am able to speak 

 very decidedly to its great superiority over every oth- 

 er, provided the soil be suitable, and the culture well 

 attended to. The crops to which I allude were so re- 



markably productive, and I had such constant access 

 to them, that I was induced every evening to enter in- 

 to a journal, whatever had tranqiired during the day, 

 worthy of observation; but for this circumstance, it 

 would be out of my power, at this distance of time, 

 to speak so decidedly as to their rapid growth and 

 large yield: I have now, however, an op|iortunity to 

 quote cluiptcr and terse from this journal, which I will 

 do, for your information. 



The Rev. Mr. T. having a field of an acre and a 

 quarter, which had been suffered to run to weeds and 

 bulrushes, determined to clean it, and seed it with Lu- 

 cerne; he had it therefore trenched with the spade, to 

 the depth of the staple of the land, which was in some 

 places very shallow, the substratum being a hard gra- 

 vel. By this operation, the richest part, or surface 

 soil, was turned down on the gravel, and the subsoil 

 was brought to the surface, to be enriched by future 

 dreasings. The work was done for fifty cents per 

 perch, of twenty-two feet square, and the seed was 

 sown broadcast and harrowed in by hand. On the ap- 

 pearance of the plants, they were not supposed thick 

 enough to form a crop, but by careful management the 

 field has produced immense crops, both oi green food 

 and hay. The journal commences with 



KIKLD NO. I. 



September \Zth. Mr. P's field of Lucerne, measu- 

 ring one acre and a quarter, after soiling two horses 

 and a cow during the whole of the summer, has alrea- 

 dy given three crops of hay, on that part of the field 

 which hos not been cut for soiling, to the estimated 

 quantity of five tons. The fourth crop, now glowing, 

 mea'iures two feet in height. 



Sept. ilst. The fourth crop of Lucerne mown this 

 day tor hay- 



Sept. 'Mth. The hay carried in in excellent condi- 

 tion: the weather having been dry and hut, the only 

 preparation requisite was, to turn the crop once; this 

 crop is equal to any of the preceding cuttings. 



Sept. 2Gth. A portion of the field from whence 

 gravel had been dug, and the part levelled, has always 

 dried up after producing one crop of hay in the sum- 

 mer, the substratum being impenetrable; that spot has 

 this day been covered to the depth of five inches with 

 fresh earth, preparatory to trenching and re-sowing. 



Oct. IStJi. The trenching of the gravelly spot has 

 been delayed, but the shoots of the Lucerne have pen- 

 etrated the earth through a space of five inches, and 

 it is now determined to allow it to remain unlrenched. 



A^ov. 2dd. A fifth crop will not come to sufficient 

 maturity for hay, but there is excellent food for horses 

 and cattle. 



April Sth. The gravellv spot is the best and earliest 

 part of the field; scarcely an inch in space, without a 

 vigorous shoot of Lucerne. 



3Iu)j Gth. Commenced mowing the crop of Lucerne 

 for soiling, a remarkably heavy crop, more than two 

 feet in height. 



11th. The first crop mown for hay this day. A 

 space six feet square, taken as a fair average of the 

 field, yielded twenty-three pounds in weight as soon 

 as cut; after one day's exposure it had lost eight 

 pounds in weight, showing that a gallon of water had 

 evaporated in twenty-four hours from this small quan- 

 tity of green food." 



23rf. The hay carried in good condition — not in- 

 jured by five rainy days, the crop lying light, by means 

 of its large stalks, requiring only careful turning now 

 and then. 



June 26(/(. A second crop mown for hay, measuring 

 two feet eight inches in height. The weather has 

 been remarkobly hot and dry, the result has been, a 

 growth in the crop of two inches in height every 

 twenty-four hours, the last four days. 



Ji'hj nth. The third crop of Lucerne measures 

 seventeen inches in height; the weather is extremely 

 hot and dry, all the meadows are parched, and far- 

 mers are compelled to feed their cattle on hay; the 

 Lucerne grows away as though it had a shower every 

 night. 



22(A The crop on the gravelly side has again failed; 

 a first and second crop come earlier and grows more 

 vigorous on this part of the field than on any other; 

 but after that, it suffers from a want of depth of soil, 

 affording a familiar illustration of the parable of the 

 sower, (Matth. .\ii. olh and Cth verses.^ The seed 

 which fell on stony ground immediately sprang up 

 because it had not much depth of earth, and conse- 

 quently soon felt the influence of the sun, but when 

 the sun was in full vigor, it was parched, and for 

 want of nourishment, withered away. 



Alls, "ilh The third crop of Lucerne, mown this 

 day fur hay; a very heavy crop, many of the plants in 

 lilopsom. From the first to the second inowinsf, one 



*Twefve tons, eight fmntlreJ and fifty lbs. per acre. 



T. 



ad, 



an 



month aitd fifteen days; from the second to the thirci 

 cutting, one month and eleven days; and after this ibj 

 field was rented to a tenant for £30 sterling per an 

 num. 



-.FIELD NO. II. 



Sept M. A piece of land was sown this day witj 

 Lucerne seed of this summer's growth, unaccomps 

 nied with any crop. 



March 20th The Lucerne sown on the Sth of 

 September, with seed of that summer's growth, ha ., 

 stood the severity of the winter, and the crop measure 

 six inches in height this day. 



May 4th. Cut the first crop of Lucerne this day 

 two feet in height. 



June lith. A second crop mown this day, equal ti 

 the first. . 



July 14th. The third crop mown this day, twentj 

 six inches in height. 



August 24th. The fourth crop was mown this day 

 equal to any of the preceding. 



Sept. ath. It was on this day last year, that thf i 

 crop was sown with seed of that suumier's production K- 

 the fifth crop from which meafiurea a foot in heigh 

 this day. 



FIELD NO. III. 



Major T. sowed a field with Lucerne, in May of lot ^ 

 yeaj, unaccompanied with any crop; three heavy crop 

 weretalien for soiling during the summer, and on th 

 fourth of May of the present year, it was mown fo ''■ 

 hay, a very heavy croji: thus giving four crops in th '' 

 space of one year from the time of sowing the seed, 



FIELD NO. IV. 



Colonel T. has a field of Lucerne, of four acres, i 

 full vigor; the crop, after cutting, measured three fe» i^ 

 seven inches in length. He mowed a third crop fo^; 

 hay from this field on the 21st of July. 



FIELD NO v. 



M. A., Esq., in breaking up an old unproductii 

 meadow, for the purpose of seeding it with Lucernf 

 adopted the following mode. In September, the loi 

 was ploughed to the full depth of the soil, and sowe 

 with winter tares, or vetches: these were cut for ho 

 in May, and yielded three tons per acre. The Ion 

 was immediately ploughed and repeatedly harrowcc 

 and the weeds were collected and burnt: a plentili 

 crop of seed weeds soon made their appearance, whit 

 were ploughed down; the land was again horrowei 

 and the weeds were again collected and burnt: th 

 was repeated until the soil was as clean as a gordei 

 when it had a very thick coat of well rotted stable dun; 

 which was very carefidly turned in, and Lucerne sei 

 was sown in September, without any other crop; av 

 during the next summer it was cut five times, eithi 

 for soiling or for hay: the fifth crop for soiling wi 

 commenced cutting on the 25th September. 



So far the journal, which needs no comment. 



From tlie Zitnutilte Gaitttt. 

 Lucerne, or French Clover. 



Lucerne, sometimes called "French Clover," is 

 kind of grass, which, in some situations in Europe, 

 cultivated with great advantage, and has been trie 

 in some instances with great success in this countn 

 It is not, strictly speaking, a clorcr, though in som 

 respects similar. It is perennial — in favorable soili 

 the roots are said to live and flourish a hundred yean 

 Its advantages consist in affording a greater amount < 

 foliage for any kind of stock, than any other plan 

 according to the expense of producing it. Seven 

 years since, while residing in the State 'bf Maine, w 

 made several experiments with Lucerne, which, a 

 though some of them terminated unfavorably, satii 

 fied us that the most favorable soil for it is a deep sar 

 dy loam; and as the alluvial soils on this river are ger 

 erally of this character, we last spring resolved o 

 giving it a trial here. We procured from Boston, 

 small quontity of seed, which was sown on the rive 

 "bottom," the last week in May. As the soil ha 

 been badly managed for several years previous, w 

 had feared that the great growth of weeds would checl 

 and smother the Lucerne, and to guard agoinst this 

 and get a chance to extirpate the weeds, we sowc 

 the seed in drills. This was done very expediiiousl 

 and exactly, with one of Rugglcs, Nourse, &. Mason' 

 seed sowers. 



In the latter part of the month of July the LucerU' 

 had reached the height of 18 inches on nn average 

 and bad considerably blossomed. We cut It and fS' 

 it green, pardy to hogs and paitly to milch cows— 

 both ate it voraciously. — In just/o«r weeks from th 

 time it was cut, it had agoin grown to nearly ihe sani' 

 he ght as before, and was cut a second time — and th 

 first of November it was cut a third lime — the cro) 

 being heavier than either of the preceding. \ piec 



