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mould (hould be rendered perfeftly fine by ploughing it over 

 as frequently as may be neceflary, and breaking it well down 

 by occafional harrowing. It will feldom be necefiary to 

 nnakc ufe of manure ; but where the land is found to ftand 

 in need of it, the application is bed made with the firft of 

 the green crops. The objeA to be conllantly kept in view 

 in this bufmefs, is chiefly that of rendering the land per- 

 feftly clean from weeds, and at the fame time highly mellow 

 and friable. 



Nature and Quantity of Seed. — As feedfmen are apt to 

 keep their feeds from year to year, it may be necefTary to 

 apprife the farmer, that that which is perfeftly fresh, is the 

 moft proper for being fown, as moll fmall feeds vegetate in 

 the mod; perfeft manner when new. 



And with refpeft to the quantity of feed. Dr. Dickfon 

 has ftated that the proportion that is neceflary, ia variable 

 according to the nature of the land, and the manner in 

 which the cr. p is cultivated. In the broad-call method, 

 from eighteen to twenty pounds may be proper, while in 

 that of the drill, it will be confiderably lefs, according to 

 the diitances at which the operation is performed. In two 

 feet equidiftant rows, the ufual allowance is about flx 

 pounds ; in thofe of eighteen inches about eight pounds ; in 

 thofe of twelve inches, ten or twelve pounds ; and in nine- 

 inch rows, fixteen or eighteen pounds may be neceflary, 

 though Mr. Young only recommends from twelve to fifteen 

 pounds for the acre. 



Time and Manner of Soiuing. — In his fyftem of agriculture, 

 the fame writL-r ftates, that " the moll proper feafon for 

 putting this fort of crop into the ground, is as early as can 

 be done in the fpring months, as in this way the plants maj' 

 be fully ellabliihed before the feafon becomes too hot. The 

 latter end of March, for the mcfre fouthern diftrifts, may be 

 the moft proper period; and the beginning of the following 

 month for thofe of the north. When fown late there' is 

 niore danger of the plants being deftroyed by the fly, as has 

 been obferved by Mr. Tull. If the plants be intended to 

 be tranfplanted out in the garden method, it will alfo be the 

 bell praftice to fow the feed, bed as early in the fpring as the 

 frofts will admit, in order that the plants may be flrong, and 

 fit to fet out about the beginning of Auguft." 



In regard to the mode of fowing or putting in the crop, 

 this writer alfo fuggeils, that " ft fliould vary with the 

 circumltances of the foil, and the mode of after-manage- 

 ment that can be adopted with the moft convenience. Where 

 much attention cannot be beftowed on the bufinefs of hoe- 

 ing and keeping the crop cle^, the beft method is that of 

 fowing the land broad-caft ; though in this method the crop 

 may not laft fo long in the ground. But in cafes where the 

 crops are capable of being kept in a fufficiently clean condi- 

 tion by repeated hoe-culture, the drill may be more advifable, 

 particularly in narrow diftances. The praftice of tranf- 

 planting can, perhaps, only be done in particular cafes, on 

 fmall pieces of deep land that are in great heart, and require 

 the plants in confrquence to ftand thin and regular upon the 

 ground, as in thefe modes they become large and of vigor- 

 ous growth. In foils that are inclined to moifture at fome 

 depth below the furface, it ma)- be a ufeful method of 

 keeping the roots of the plants from being injured by their . 

 penetrating too deeply, as is more the cafe when the plants 

 rife from feed. The feed may be fown either alone or with 

 grain crops, in the fame manner as clover ; each method has 

 its advocates, and it is probable that they may be ufeful un- 

 der different circumftances, as in the deeper and more fertile 

 forts of land the firft may be the moft beneficial method, and 

 in thofe of the lighter and lefs deep kinds the latter ; as in 

 the deep forts of land there may be lefs lofs of time in pro- 



curing the green produce for horfcs or other forts of ftock, 

 as well as a greater certainty of the crop fucceeding. But 

 in the lighter and more porous foils, by being fown with com, 

 the plants may be better protefted in theii early growth, as 

 well by the {hade as the moifture that will, in that way, be 

 preferved. Some indeed fpeak of its fujierior utility on the 

 ground of long experience, in its being better preferved from 

 the fly. Wherever this mode is made ufe of, the grain 

 fliould, however, be Town thinner than is ufually the cafe, 

 in proportion as the foils are more rich. Oats are preferable 

 to barley for the purpofe, as being lefs liable to lodge, efpe- 

 cially when fown thin. From five or fix pecks to three 

 bufliels, fown as evenly as poflible, may be the beft propor- 

 tions, the fmaller quantity being neceflary on the richeft 

 foils." Mr. Young remarks, that " the greatell fuccefs by 

 far that has been knov/n is by the broad-caft method, which 

 is nearly univerfal among the beft lucern farmers, even among 

 men who admire and praftife the drill hulbandry in many 

 other articles. But as they moftly (not all) depend on fe- 

 vere harrowing for keeping their crops clean, which is a 

 troublefome and expenlive operation, he ftill ventures to re- 

 commend drilling, but very different drilling from that which 

 has been almoft univerfally praftifed, ■m%- at dillances of 

 eighteen inches or two feet. Objeftious to thefe wide inter- 

 vals are numerous. If kept clean hoed, the lucern licks 

 up fo much dirt, being beaten to theearrh by rain, &c. that 

 it is unwholefome, and the plants fpread fo into th-fe fpaces 

 that it muft be reaped, which i> a great and ufelefs expence. 

 For thefe reafons, as well as for fuperiority of crop, he re- 

 commends drilling at nine inches, which, in point of pro- 

 duce, mowing, and freedom from dirt, is the fame as broad- 

 caft ; and another advantage is, that it admits a fcarifying 

 once a year, which is much more powerful and effeftive than 

 any harrowing. Thefe fafts are fufficient to weigh fo much 

 with any reafonable man, as to induce him to adopt this 

 mode of driUing, as nearer to broad-caft by far than it is to 

 drills at eighteen or twenty- four inches, which open to a 

 quite different fyftem, and a fet of very different evils. 

 Nine-inch rows might pra3ically, but not literally, he con- 

 fidered as broad-caft, but with the power of fcarifying." 

 And in regard to " the material point, of with or without 

 corn, two confiderations prefent themfelves. One is, the 

 extreme liability of lucern to be eaten by the fly, which 

 does great mifchief to many crops, when very young, and 

 againlt which the growing corn is fome proteftion. The 

 value of the barley or oats is another objeft", and not to be 

 forgotten. It is alfo gained in the firft year's growth of the 

 lucern, which is very poorly produftive, even if no corn be 

 fown, fo that he muft own himfelf clearly an advocate for drill- 

 ing it among corn, either between the rows of nine-inch bar- 

 ley, or acrofs drilled barley at a foot ; perhaps the latter is 

 the bell method, as there is lefs probability of the crop 

 being laid, to damage the lucern. The quantity of feed- 

 corn fhould alfo be fmall, proportioned to the richnefs of 

 the land ; from one bufhcl to a bufhel and a half, ac- 

 cording to the fertility of the foil; another fecurityagainft 

 the mifchief of lodging. If thefe precautions are taken, it 

 would be prefumptuous to fay that fuccefs muft follow, that 

 being always, and in all things, in other hands than our's ; feed 

 may prove bad, the fly may eat, and drought prevent vege- 

 tation, but, barring fuch circumftances, the farmer may reft 

 fatisfied that he has done what can be done ; and if he does 

 fucceed, the advantage will be unqueftionable." 



In the broad-caft mode, in every cafe, as foon as poflible 

 after the grain has been fown and harrowed properly in, the 

 lucern feed fhould be immediately put in in that mode, by a 

 regular even caft over the fine furface, covering it with a 



hght 



