Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-12
FARM AND GARDEN.
LUCERNE

agricultural department in the UNION AND
AalEKIoAN was to stimulate our farmers to
raise diversity of crops, and 90 render
themselves as far as possible independent.
A short time since through the invitation Of
friend we visited the good State of LII
nois, and in st. Clair county, one Of the
most fertile on the continent, we were
shown sample Of lucerne, leguminous
plant and known to some as French clover.
Its botanical name is medicago sGtiua.
The specimen we saw was
fully two and half feet
long, and had rich appearance, Of a deep
green foliage, and grew with great vigor
and rapidly. It is perennial plant, and
VIII bear grazing at least three weeks earlier
than red clover. By its rapid growth it
yields an enormous quantity of delicious,
wholesome and nutritious, food that equals
oats for horses, and is said to have NO equal
as q milk producer. When once firmly
rooted no season win affect it, its long tap
root penetrating the ground several feet. 1t
requires greater heat and more sunshine
than red clover, and is only profitable in
being perennial. 1t yields enormously-in-
stances having been given where twelve tons
have been taken from single acre In one
year. Its usual height is four feet, and win
remain green and ucculent when all
other grasses are burnt up. Hogs are
fond Of it. An acre, according
to the testimony OF Mr.. Pepper,
of Warwickshire, England, will keep three
horses for six months. It may be moved
in favorable season three times during
the year. The stem is much stronger than
red clover, and the plant is therefore less
liable to fall down and rot. Cattle running
upon it will not take the bloat; nor does it
saliyate horses like the second crop of clo-
yer. 1t is not killed by freezing In winter,
and requires no resolving for ten or twelve \
years. Its adaptation to soil and climate is
very great. 1t is grown with success in the |
tropical climate Of South America, on the |
plains Of Mexico, and on mountains rising |
IL 900 feet above the sea.
It should be sown on clean, deeply cult |
waited, rich, well drained land, on wheat, |
oats or barley, much in the same manner |
as clover, so as to be shielded against the 1
late spring freshets, and sheltered against |
the effects of the sun. Should the oats or |
barley become so rank as to endaDger the |
Lueerne, they should be cut down AID used |
for feeding. Grass is pernicious to the |
young plants. Mr.. William Spitznass, tie |
talented librarian of the st. Clair county
(In.) Farmers and Fruit Growers Asso-
citation, in speaking Of this plant, says that
it win Invariably die out when the roots
reach stagnant surface water. A cover Of 4
long straw or shaked-out manure is in
dispensable for the first winter. To break
the crust of the surface and to kill
weeds, the ground should be narrowed
in the spring, and every second year a top
dressing Of manure, or gypsum should be
applied. The best seeds are to be found
only in France and should be imported
therefrom. No one should be discouraged
by seeing the lucerne in the second year
grow up lean, lsnk and slender. If there
is only enough ON the ground it viii come
out gloriously in the third year and win be
a pride and pleasure to the cultivater. A
bushel for three acres is the proper quanti-
ty of seed to SOW. In Europe the practice
is to highly manure the land several years
before sowing 50 as to have it
as much as possible free Of weeds. 1t is
there considered fine falloW crop, mas
much as it does not extract the alkalies
from the soil. Wheat grows well after it.
Soils which would only bear a small crop
of wheat at first have yielded large crops
after lucerne. The time to cut lueerne is
when in first bloom. If put off later the
stems lose their sVcculency, become hard,
woody and distasteful to stock. 1t loses
three-fourths of its weight when converted
into hay. 1t is one of the best soiling crops,
as its rapid and frequent growth make one
acre worth three or four of almost any
other forage crop.