FORAGE PLANTS— COMMON SANFOIN. i2g 



three or four years' ley. The sowing of Sanfoin alone, 

 he says, is an expensive and more or less a precarious 

 proceeding. It is by no means certain to produce a 

 plant, but combined with strong-growing grasses there 

 is less risk. Again, the grasses keep down weeds and 

 prevent the growth of couch and other pests which 

 almost invariably overrun a pure Sanfoin ley after the 

 first two years. In Norfolk and some other of the 

 Eastern counties, Sanfoin takes the place of Eed 

 Clover, and is rarely allowed to remain down more 

 than two years — generally only one. Against this 

 practice nothing can be urged; but the method adopted 

 in Berks, Wilts, Hants, and Oxford of putting down 

 Sanfoin alone for four or five years has grave disad- 

 vantages. 



Dr. Steblee reports that this plant has proved a 

 great boon to certain districts in Switzerland, and that, 

 although best suited to warm climates, it does fairly well 

 even in those cantons that possess a comparatively cold 

 and harsh temperature. By this plant, he says, it be- 

 comes possible to turn ground to use which otherwise 

 would be without value. It stands excessive drought, 

 succeeds even without manure, and is of long duration. 

 If sown too often in the same land, or at short intervals, 

 the land gets " Sanfoin sick," and refuses to grow it. 

 As its roots descend to twice or thrice the depth that 

 those of Lucem do, the nature of the subsoil is of much 

 importance to it. However unfavourable the surface 

 soil may be, Sanfoin will prosper if the subsoil is favour- 

 able, always provided that the surface soil is, at all 

 events, sufficiently fertile to nourish the plants the first 

 year so as to allow them time to push their roots into 



the subsoil. 



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