L U C E R N. 



light feed-harrow, but it (hould not be too deeply covered 

 in, two inches being fully fufficient. In the drill methcui, the 

 fame fyilcm Ihould be followed, the luceni feed being drilled 

 in immediately after the corn has been put into the foil. 



It need hardly be noticed that the plats of ground fown 

 for thcpurpolc of railing plants, to befet out in the garden 

 method of culture, Ihould always be without grain, or other 

 forts of crops, in order that they may admit of having the 

 plants properly thiinied out and kept clean, and in a vigor- 

 ous ilate of growth, for being fet out with the moll ad- 

 vantage and fuccefs poflible. 



With regard to the proper df<lance of the rows, it may 

 in addition be obferved, where the drill mode of culture is 

 praftifed, it fliould probably depend upon the ftatc and cir- 

 cumllances of the foils. Mr. Kent advifes two feet as the 

 bell dillance in all cafes ; while others think equal diftances 

 of a foot in rich foils, fuch as are worth from thirty to forty 

 fhillings the acre, and nine inches in thofe that are oi inferior 

 fertility, as from fifteen to twenty fliillings the acre, the 

 heft general dillances. On foils of lefs value it is probable 

 that this culture can feldom be had recourfe to with much 

 benefit to the farmer. The lail dillance approaches much to 

 the broad-call method, which is contended by fome as the 

 mod appropriate in almoil all cafes, and of courfe Tt'may 

 be preferable, as it admits of being plowed between by a 

 fuitable plough, in the room of the harrowed methodj and 

 the obfervations made above are decidedly in favour of the 

 method. 



In whatever method this fort of feed may have been fown, 

 it is, when good, quick in its vegetation, beginning to fprout 

 in the courfe of a week, and foon fpreading the plants over 

 the furface of the land. And the fooner it obtains its 

 rough leaf the better, as it is then like turnip-plants, out of 

 danger of being dellroyed by the fly. But before thefe 

 plants arrive at this ilate of growth, they are liable, efpe- 

 cially in dry feafons, to be much injured, if not wholly con- 

 fumed, by the ravages of the fame fort of infedl as that 

 which is fo detrimental to the turnip crops. " Where the 

 greatell part of the plants are injured in this way, the au- 

 thor of " Praiflical Agric alture" thinks it is probably the 

 bell method, when the crop has been put in alone, to plow 

 up the land, and fow it down again with frefh feed, as foon 

 as poflible.'' And this he fuppofes" is an advantage which 

 the fowing the crop alone has over that of putting it in with 

 thofe of other kinds " 



ylftcr Culture It may be ftated in regard to the after- 

 management of this grafs, that, as the economy of the plant 

 is fuch as to render it incapable of being grown with much 

 advantage, where other forts of plants, whether of the 

 grafs or weed kind, are apt to annoy it ; much care and at- 

 tention Ihould of courfe be employed in keeping it clean and 

 free from the intrulion of all fuch vegetable produdlions. 

 This, the fame author thinks, " may be effefted in different 

 ways, according to the methads in whitji the crop has 

 been raifed. Where the broad-cail plan has been purfued, 

 little is neceffary, where the land has been properly prepared 

 after the grain crop has been removed, except keeping all 

 forts of heavy flock from coming upon it. In a dry feafon, 

 if there be occafion, the field may however be fed a little by 

 calves, and other very light flock, but they fhould never be 

 kept long upon the plants at one time. When the fecond 

 cutting has been made in the following year, if any grafs 

 fliows ilfelf the land fhould be harrowed over in a moderate 

 manner, by a harrow which is not too heavy nor too long in 

 the tineSj lWO or more times, as may be neceffary in different 

 dire(£lioi.3, the graffy matter being collefted by a fmall light 

 implement of the fame kind, and removed from the land. 



This bufinefs fliould be executed as foon in the early part o 

 the fpring as the nature and flate of the ground will admitj 

 as dry a perio4. as poflible being taken for pertorniing the 

 work. In the fucceeding years tuo fuch hai rowings may 

 be frequently required, one in the early part ot the fpring 

 feafon, and the other in the clofe of fummer. Lut in thefe 

 cafes, efpecially where there is much grafs app.-iuing. a 

 much heavier fort of harrow flioidd be made ule of." In 

 the 25th vol. of the Annals of Agric:ilture, one is sdvifed 

 of fuch a weight, as is fufficient for four horles, aiiii which 

 does not fprcad more than four or five feet ; but in 1. nit cafes, 

 efpecially where the work is fo frequently pertorm^-d, one 

 that requires lefs draught may be adequate to ihe [mrpoie, 

 as where fuch large heavy harrows are employt .1, iherii 

 is much danger in injuring the crowns of the plants, and 

 thereby caufing their dellruftion ; whereat by the ufe of the 

 lighter ones, they are moftly much benefited tr'.ui the mould 

 being ftirred about their roots. After thefe oj^erations, as 

 in the above cafe, the weeds fhould be brou.ht together, 

 and removed from the ground. When the crops are thin and 

 patchy, feed in proportion to the deficiencies fhould be fown 

 over fuch places befoie the harrowings comn.ince caclrtime. 

 In every cafe the roller fliould be applied iir.mediateiy after 

 the operation has been performed, noi only for the purpofe 

 of comprefling the mould at out the roots of ilie plants, but 

 to render the furface perfectly level and fit for the fcythe. 

 In this method of culture, " where the produce is not to 

 fome extent, it is probably bettfr to feed the crop by light 

 cattle-flock in the autumn than mow it." 



In refpeCl to the dri 1-fown lucern, it is recommended, 

 " w'here the rows are fufficiently evident, in the autumn 

 feafon, after the grain has been fecui\ d, th:it a fmall fliim 

 Ihould be psfled between them, in order to extirpate all the 

 weeds and graffy materials, as well as to loofen the mould 

 about the roots. of the plants, and that they may be ren- 

 dered more perfectly clean, the hand-hoeing of the plai-.ts 

 in the rows : and that, in the fucceeding year, fliU more 

 particular attention to the ufe of the fhim and hoe will be 

 requifite. The bufinefs fliould be begun as early as the flate 

 of the foils will fafely admit of its being executed : being 

 continued occallonally in fuch a manner, as to induce the 

 cultivator to leave it again for the produttion of this grafs. 

 In fituations where fuch grounds could be conveniently 

 flooded or covered with water occafionally, they might 

 therefore be very advantageoufly converted into good mea- 

 dow or grafs-lands ; a fort of application that has long" 

 fince been recommended by De Serres, a French writer ot 

 great refpeflability : when fuch lands are pcrfeftly broken 

 up, they afford, in mofl cafes, admirable crops of the grain 

 kind : oats, as being leafl injured by a luxuriant growth, 

 may, in general, be the molt advifable as the firfl crop." 



It has been advifed, " as a good rule in thefe cafes, to 

 give good hoeings, either of the horle or hand kinds, as 

 foon as weeds appear every time after the crops are taken 

 off. If the plants are perfeftly ftraight in the rows, which 

 fliould always be the cafe, a fliim may be had reconrfe to 

 with the greatell benefit, as it may be drawn fo clofely to 

 the plants, as in a great meafure to fave the expence of 

 hand-hoeing, as, in fuch cafes, it will be only neceffary to 

 extirpate the weeds or natural grals plants that may have 

 ellablillied themfelves among the lucern plants in the rows, 

 which is capable of being effefted in a very complete man- 

 ner by the ufe of a pronged hand-hoe. And it is further 

 recommended never, by any means, to fuffer fields of this 

 fort to become weedy, under the fuppofition, that the pro- 

 duce may not cut well, or be free from dull ; as where it 

 is of fufficiently vigorous growth, and of a fuitable dillance 

 II in 



