CULTIVATION OF SAINFOIN. 
275 
CULTIVATION OF SAINFOIN. 
From the London Agricultural Gazette, we 
condense the following article on the cultiva¬ 
tion of sainfoin, a crop, we think, well worthy 
the attention of the farmers of the United States. 
We would recommend it to he sown on lime¬ 
stone or calcareous soils, as it is best suited for 
lands of that description, although it will grow 
on those which are gravelly and light, with prop¬ 
er attention to the manuring:— 
“ There are certain crops whose agricultural 
merits demand for them a more extensive cul¬ 
tivation than they have hitherto obtained, which 
deserve, on that account, special notice in this 
section of our journal; among them is sainfoin, 
which is almost as much unknown in some dis¬ 
tricts, as it is universally cultivated in others. 
Plants of the same botanical character, such as 
clovers, tares, &c., are much more general in 
their distribution over land of varied nature; 
but they are not of more importance than sain¬ 
foin to the farmer who has land suitable for its 
growth. On the limestone soils of the Cotswold 
Hills, and upon the sheep farms of the chalk 
formation of Wiltshire, Hampshire, and Berk¬ 
shire, it was, until the more extended introduc¬ 
tion of the system of turnip farming, almost the 
mainstay of the stock keeper; and even now, it 
is acknowledged to be of so much importance 
that there is a clause in many leases that a cer¬ 
tain quantity of land shall be left in sainfoin at 
the expiration of the term, and that this shall be 
valued to the incoming tenant according to its 
age and quality. Sainfoin is also grown upon 
the chalky and gravelly soils of Herts, Cam¬ 
bridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk. In the south¬ 
ern counties, and upon the Cotswold Hills, the 
land remains in sainfoin for a term of years va¬ 
rying from four to seven, and sometimes even 
more. The first year’s growth is inferior to the 
second; but, after a certain time the grasses 
natural to the land, and the growth of seeds 
from the hay upon which the sheep are partly 
fed during winter when upon turnips, quite 
smother the sainfoin, and the produce deterior¬ 
ates in value; but still the rest the land has for 
com cropping imparts a freshness to it, which 
is shown in the crop, following whether of 
grain or roots. 
The varieties of sainfoin cultivated in this 
country are by no means numerous; the com¬ 
mon English sainfoin, which is natural to the 
chalk and limestone soils, being by far the most 
extensive grown, and preference is given to the 
variety where the land is required to be in sain¬ 
foin for several years. 
Most extraordinary prices were given a few 
years since for seed of the giant sainfoin, said 
to have been discovered by Mr. Hart, of Ash- 
well, Herts, and introduced into notice by Mi-. 
Thomas Hine, of Newnham, in that county, who 
describes it as being more rapid in its growth 
in the spring, and after the first cutting—it will 
produce in one season two crops of hay, or one 
of hay and afterwards a crop of seed may be 
taken. 
The French double-cut sainfoin, as it is termed 
by dealers in seeds, is very generally cultivated 
in the central provinces of France, and a con¬ 
siderable quantity of the seed has been import¬ 
ed into this country, and sold at prices very 
little higher than seed of English growth, dur¬ 
ing the last few seasons. It is very similar to 
the giant sainfoin, growing quite as quickly, 
but producing a smaller quantity of leaf. 
A gentleman who has grown it two years in 
Norfolk writes, ‘ I find it early and quick in 
growing, both in the spring and after mowing, 
but I do not get heavier hay crops.’ Another 
of our correspondents from Suffolk, who farms 
an extensive tract of light and mixed soil land, 
in that county, and to whom we are much 
obliged for his information, says, £ I planted 
part of a field with the French double-cut sain¬ 
foin seed, and the other part with common Eng¬ 
lish—the same quantity of seed, per acre, drilled 
at the same time; so marked was the difference 
in favor of the French, the first and only year I 
have tried it, both in thickness of plant and 
quickness of growth, that I let the first cut stand 
for seed, for fear I should loose the stock, but I 
got little or no seed from it. So rapid, however, 
was the growth after the first crop was cut, that 
it soon passed in length the common sort, cut 
long before for hay, and produced a nice crop 
of seed the second cut. The sainfoins here, in 
a general way, do not lie more than one or two 
years. Mine lie two, and then wheat, for which 
purpose I very much prefer the French; indeed, 
if it is succeed with me as well in future as it 
did last year, I should not think of sowing any 
other.’ From the above evidence, and from ex¬ 
perience of their culture, the last two varieties, 
from their quicker growth, and from their com¬ 
ing sooner to maturity, may be recommended 
upon all highly-cultivated soils having a calca¬ 
reous subsoil, the object of the agriculturist 
being to obtain a large produce the first and 
second years, and to keep the land clean and in 
good heart for the wheat crop. 
For aught we know, the French double-cut 
seed may owe its quicker growth and earlier 
