555 
H U S B 
When the foils oh which this plant is grown are not of 
conliderable fertility, the occafional application of manure 
may be of great advantage in thickening the bottom, 
and increafing the quantity of crop. For this ufe clean well- 
rotted dung is probably by much the bell manure, as 
where earthy compofts, allies, or foot, are employed, they 
are apt to promote the growth of common graffes too much. 
The culture of lucerne is obvioufly attended with con- 
fiderable expence, both in its firft eftablifhment, and the 
after-management which is necelfary to enfure its fuccefs. 
The inexperienced farmer Ihould not therefore commence 
this kind of hufbandry too liaftily, without confidering 
how far it may fuit his purpofe. 
As this is one of the moil forward of the natural grades, 
it frequently attains a fuflicient 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 longer; being capable of 
undergoing- the fame operation at nearly fimilar dillances 
of time during the whole of the futnmer feafon. In this 
laft fort of foil, with proper management in the drill 
method, it has been found to rife the height of a foot and 
a half in about thirty or forty days, affording five full 
cuttings in the futnmer. But in the broadcall crops, there 
are feldom fo many cuttings afforded in this feafon, three 
or four being more common, as the growth is much lefs 
rapid than by either of the other modes. In order to have 
new fuccefiions of this grafs conftantly becoming ready to 
he cut, it has been recommended, for the purpofe of foil¬ 
ing, to have the ground formed into fo many divifions as 
that one of them may be cut daily; as about fixty, and 
thofe of the drilled and tranlplanted kinds into from thirty 
to forty, according to the nature of the land, confuming 
them in the fame manner. Thefe cuttings mull however 
be varied in proportion to the differences in the growth 
of the crops and the confumption. The moll economi¬ 
cal mode of cutting the produce is without doubt by 
means of the fcythe, though the reaping-hook has been 
made ufe of by fome. After being cut, the food Ihould 
be conveyed as Icon as poffible to the cattle. 
An acre of lucerne, it is laid, when under proper culture, 
will lupport from three to five or fix horfes, or other cattle, 
during the fix fummer months. Its greatell recommen¬ 
dation, therefore, is that of foiling horfes, horned cattle, 
and hogs; and as an early food for ewes and lambs, it 
may be of great value in particular cafes. In its applica¬ 
tion all'o in the foiling of cows in the fold-yards, and in 
the feeding and fattening of oxen, its importance is equal¬ 
ly great. It is found that, in foiling cows, the proportion 
conlumed in twenty-four hours is from about fixty or 
leventy to upwards of a hundred pounds, in thofe which 
are of the middling-fized kinds; an acre maintaining in 
the proportion of about four cows for twenty weeks. In 
feeding cattle with this food in its green ftate, care is 
necelfary, however, not to give them too largely at a rime, 
efpecially when it is moilt, as they may be hoven with it 
in the fame way as with clover. 
Though lucerne Ihould not, at particular times, be fed 
clofe with Iheep, yet it may be applied as an early green 
provifion for ewes and lambs with great utility and con¬ 
venience, as it is fit to feed much fooner than any other 
kinds of artificial grafs crops, efpecially in foils of the 
rich, dry, and warm, defcriptions; being often ready for 
the purpofe foon after the middle of March, affording a 
good bite through the whole of the foliowing month, tire 
moll difficult period for the providing of fuitable lupport 
for a breeding flock. The benefit produced in the healthy 
growth and improvement of the lambs in this mode, will 
much more than counterbalance any lofs fuftained in the 
firft cutting for foiling of horles. The Iheep Ihould not, 
however, remain on longer than while the firft llioots are 
eaten down. 
Lucerne feems to have the advantage of all the other 
artificial graffes in its duration in the ground, continuing 
\ N D R Y. 
from ten to fifteen and even twenty years, according to 
the ftate and nature of the foil, and the attention that is 
bellowed in the after-management. This is, undoubtedly, 
a circumftance of the higheft importance in cafes where 
the cultivator wilhes to avoid the trouble and expence of 
grain crops, as he can keep a fuitable extent of land under 
lucerne, for the puqiofe of foiling his Itock,-while with 
clover it is utterly impoflible. Where the proportion of 
land is fmall, and the quantity of cattle and horfe-ltock 
difproportionately large, it is a grafs admirably calculated 
for the cultivator’s purpofe, when grown conveniently to 
the farm-yards, and kept in due order by proper cultiva¬ 
tion. It has alfo been recommended on dairy-farms, as of 
great utility in fupporting the cows and increafing the 
quantity of milk. When made into hay, it produces a 
moll valuable and plentiful winter fodder.—See, for further 
information concerning Lucerne, the article Medicac-ov 
fativa, in this Encyclopaedia. 
Of preventing HAY-RICKS from taking FIRE. 
It is a lamentable reflexion, that, after the labour an. 
expence of getting a fine hay-crop together, for wan c 
of a little care and attention in the farmer, the whole Hack 
Ihould take fire, and his property be thus unexpectedly 
conlumed. To fave ricks of hay from fuch l'udden con¬ 
flagrations, the following explanation of the caul'e, and 
method of prevention, are laid before the public : If the 
hay be heaped together when it is damp, .a violent heat 
takes place, which the farmers term jwealing , by which 
the hay frequently becomes black, and may be rubbed 
into powder. This heat is generated in a much lefs de-- 
gree when the hay is thoroughly dry. Hence it is plain 
that the water is the caufe of this heat. The procefs of 
ignition in a hay-flack is as follows : The putrefactive fer¬ 
mentation is attended with the decompofition of the wa¬ 
ter; and the air, thus formed, reiides in the mafs. The 
oxygen, or bafis of pure air, connects -it(elf with the prin¬ 
ciple of heat, and immediately unites with the coal 
(carbo) of the hay, forming fixed air, which again liber¬ 
ates a large quantity of caloric, which remains in the 
mafs, and gradually increafes. This fixed air is fre¬ 
quently obl'erved at a certain dillance from a hay-ftack, 
in the direction of the wind. The inflammable air, the 
other component part of water, being now free, and being 
rendered, by the heat of the hay, lufceptible of ignition,, 
burfts into a flame, by the accefs of frelh air. This takes 
place with more difficulty where the hay is clofely packed . 
together, although the heat and fermentation be then molt 
aClive. Great care Ihould therefore be taken .not to in- 
create the evil by haftily endeavouring to remedy it. The 
inmoft and warmed part of the hay Ihould be taken gra¬ 
dually down from the rick, expofing it as little as pofli- 
ble to the external air, and never fuddenly. The writer 
of this produces feveral inltances where this mode had the 
defired fuccefs. He found, by the heat of.a hay-fork, 
which exceeded that of boiling water, after it had been 
for fome little time.ftuck in the middle of the Hack, .that 
there was immediate danger of ignition. He warned the 
farmers not to be too precipitate, but, beginning at the 
top, very gradually to proceed, and to admit a lufficient 
quantity of atmofpheric air to cool, and not to enkindle, 
a flame. By thefe means the danger was prevented, and 
the rick faved. We are anxious that thefe fads (houidL 
be more generally known, becaufe we think that a ratio-, 
nal explanation of the caufe, may quicken diligence to; 
guard againft thefe frequent and fatal Ioffes.. 
Of MANURES and COMPOSTS. 
Whatever, may be the richnefs or poverty of the foil: 
in a man’s farm, if the grand bufinefs.ol cultivation.is to 
goon in.regular I'uecefiion, he never will cut.any figure 
in bis crops, unlefs he lias regular and ample recourfe to, 
the aid of-manure. It is a fundamental miftake to fuppofe,. 
with Tuli, that tillage may be fnbilituted in the place of 
manure. Manures will indeed be of little avail, without it.* 
