L U C E R N. 



in the rows, according to the natare of the land, there can 

 be no reafon for fuch an injurious praAice, as it is only 

 where the planting is executed at larger diftances than the 

 • condition of the foil will permit, that any inconvenience can 

 be experienced in this way." 



It may be ftated, that " where hand-hoeing ts the method 

 chiefly dependsd on for keeping crops of hicern in a proper 

 (late of culture, much of the bufinefs may be performed 



Nearly double this is fometimcs made by foiling clover. 



Number of Cuttings and Manner of Cutting. — In a late prac- 

 tical work, it is ftated that, " as this is one of the moft 

 forward of the artificial gralTes, it frequently attains a 

 fufficient growth for the fcythe towards the end of April, 

 or beginning of the following month ; and in foils that 

 are favourable for its culture, will be in a ftate of readinefs 

 for a fecond cutting in the courfe of a month or fix weeks 



by women, or even children, and the expence be thus con- longer, being capable of undergoing the fame operation 



fiderably leffened." 



Application of Manure. — In cafes where the foils on which 

 this plant is grown are not of confiderable fertility, the oc- 

 cafional appUcation of manure may be of great advantage, 

 in thickening and increafing the quantity of crop ; for this 

 life clean well rotted dung is probably by mucii the beft 

 manure, as where earthy compofls, afties, or foot are em 



at nearly fimilar diftances of time, during the whole of the 

 fummer feafon. In this laft fort of foil, with proper ma- 

 nagement, in the drill method, it has been found to rife to 

 the height of a foot and a half in about thirty or forty 

 days, affording five full cuttings in the fummer. But in the 

 broad-caft crops, in the opinion of fome, there are fcldom 

 fo many cuttings afforded in the feafon, three or four being 



ployed, they are apt tg promote the growth of, or bring more common, as the growth is fuppofed to be lefs rapiif 

 up graffes too much ; the latter are, however, fometimes than by either of the other modes:"' this is, however 

 fown over the crop in the winter feafon. The dung is ad- contradifted by other cultivators, who have beftowed niuch 



vifed, in the 25th vol. of the Annals of Agriculture, to be 

 applied in the quantity of about tv.enty tons to the acre, 

 every five or fix years. Mr. Kent, however, thinks it a 

 better practice to put a flight coat on annually in the fpring 

 feafon. As much expence might be incurred in the cul- 



care on the fubjecl, as will be evident hereafter. A^nd it is 

 ftated, that " in order to have new fucccfGons of this grafs 

 conftantly becoming ready to be cut, it has been re- 

 commended, for the purpofe of foihng, to have the broad- 

 cail plantations formed into fo many divifions, as that 



ture, eftabliftiment, and after management of tliis fort of of them may be cut daily, as about iixty ; and thofe of 



crop, in order to infure a favourable produce, the farmer the drilled, and tranfplanted kinds, into from thirty to 



(hould not too haftily attempt it, till he has found how far forty, according to the nature of the land, confumin? them 



it will fuit his convenience and other circumllances. in the fame manner. Thefe cuttings muft, however, be 



Expences cf Cultivation. — The various expences attending varied in proportion to the differences in the growth of the 



it, as ftated by different writers before the late rife in the crops, and the confumption. The mpft economical mode of 



price of labour, are thus given, as well as the profit in 

 foiling horfes. At prefent, however, a third more may be 

 added, and, in fome cafes, much more. 



£. 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



Expences. 



Two fpring ploughings extra - - - 



Harrowings - - 



Eight pounds of feed - - - 



D ruling - . - . 



HorfS-hoeing in autumn 



Hand-hoeing ditto . . . 



Firft year 



Annual Expences afterwards. 



To rent, titit:, a:, 1 rates 

 Four horle-hoeings 

 Three hai. d-hoeings 



Five mow.igs - . . . 



Raking tcgether 

 Loading a. id carting home 

 Manunng, to amount^^r annum 



Clear pi-ofit • 



Profit '.1 th: PraSice of Soiling Horfes. 

 By keeping five horfes, from beginning of l £. 

 May to middle of October, at zs. 6d. > 14 

 per horie, per week - - - J 



d. 



o 

 6 

 o 

 6 

 6 

 o 



I 18 6 



£. 

 i 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 

 o 



d 



o 

 o 

 o 

 6 

 o 

 6 

 o 



d. 



6 



14 7 6 



cutting the produce is, without doubt, by means of the 

 fcythe, though ihe reaping-hook has been made ufe of by 

 fome ; after being cut, the food fhould be conveyed, as foon 

 as polTible, to the animals : this may be done by a light 

 cart, or large barrow, made for the purpofe, according to 

 the fcale on which the bufinefs is conducted. One cutting 

 in the day is only adviftd by fome, but as there is a lofs as 

 well as injury dune to all forts of green-cut food by keep- 

 ing, even for a few hours in hot feafons, it may be a better 

 praflice to have two cuttings in the day, efpecially when 

 the weather is warm, and the lucern at no g^eat diftance.; 

 befides, the food is eaten better when quite frefh." 



Falue and Application of. — It is ftated, that " the produce 

 of this fort of crop, in converting it to the purpofes of 

 foiling cattle, u'ill ncccfl'arily be different under different cir- 

 cumftances, but an acre can feldom, when under proper 

 culture and management, fupport lefs than from three to 

 five or fix horfes, or other cattle, during the fix fummer 

 months, the profit of which cannot be lefs than from fevcn 

 to ten or twelve pounds.'' " And in lettino- it remain 

 for hay, which is lefs advantageous, in three mowings, an 

 acre, where the crop is good, will feldom afford lefs than 

 from three to five tons of dry bay. In Mr. Arbuthnot's 

 trials, as ftated in Mr. Young's Tour, the produce was 

 four loads, but in thofe of others, on rich grounds, it was 

 five. It is hkewife remarked, that " in making this fort 

 of plant into hay, the fame direflions fliould be attended to 

 as for clover ; the lefs the produce is lliaken about the 

 better, provided it be fuflicientiy quickly dried, as the leaves 

 will be more fully preferved in the ftems, and the hay, of 

 courfe, more valuable. From its greater fucculence, it 

 will, in common, require rather more time than clover, 

 or faintfojn, in making into hay. As this Jort of liay 

 is held in lefs eftimation than that of either of the above 

 graffes, it .Qiould always be confumed at home by the farm 

 horfes, or other flock ; and that of the other forts fent for 

 fale.-' 



But 



