56 



On the Giant Sainfoin. 



I now feel myself bound in all fairness to notice an unfortunate 

 occurrence which took place in 1844. Having determined to 

 sow all the seed of my own growth until I had obtained the 

 breadth I usually grew entirely of this stock, I sowed all my stock 

 of seed, for which I could have obtained 70/., by drilling between 

 the rows of corn, which proved an entire failure, owing to the 

 excessive drought of that summer. But herein I was not sin- 

 gular, as I know of no party who obtained a plant in that season. 

 The clovers, also, were generally affected in a similar way, only 

 6 acres out of 70 acres I sowed realizing a plant. 



Having by this time, from my own observation, discovered the 

 peculiar properties of this species of the plant, I shall proceed 

 to detail them, and, with a view to make myself more clearly un- 

 derstood, [ shall do so principally by showing in what respects 

 it stands contradistinguished from the common stock. There is 

 very little difference in the appearance of the two varieties, but it 

 is generally a shade darker in its colour, is more rapid in its 

 growth in the spring, and still more so after the first cutting, 

 which, in this locality, generally takes place very early in June; 

 after this it shoots much earlier and grows much faster than the 

 common stock, and by the end of July will be again in full flower. 

 The bulk of the second crop will mainly depend upon the state 

 of the weather. Upon whatever soil it is planted, it will always 

 be much more bulky in a moist season than in a dry one ; still, 

 however, be the season moist or dry, it will go to flower at the 

 same time, and produce as much or more seed in a dry season 

 than in a dripping one. If cut a second time for hay, it will be 

 in flower a third time in September, but if left for seed, it will be 

 ready for cutting in August, after which it will produce an eddish 

 nearly equal to what is generally produced by the common stock 

 after the first mowing. Again, the root of the Giant species is 

 not so large as that of the common stock, roots of which I have 

 sometimes known to penetrate upon a chalky soil to the depth of 

 four or five feet, being proportionably large, but the roots of the 

 Giant species are much smaller. The stalk, also, will be larger 

 and taller, especially the first year it is in plant; the reason of 

 this is, its maturing itself much sooner than the common stock. 

 The stalk, it is true, will possess a greater cavity in the middle, 

 and, as a matter of course, will flatten more in the hay stack; but 

 whether this is advantageous or not I really cannot take upon my- 

 self to determine. With regard to its nutritious qualities I have 

 no knowledge ; but I have known that when both species have 

 been sown side by side and depastured, the stock have given a 

 decided preference to the Giant species ; this, moreover, is corro- 

 borated by the observations of some highly respectable indivi- 

 duals, whose testimonials will accompany these remarks. I have 



