The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-30
Lucerne In Fairfield.

By permission OF Major Hammond and
Col. hion we give our readers and &C
count of the success with which lucerne
can be raised in Fairfield. Col. Rion
refers to Mr. w. b. McCreight and Nj.
Thomas Jordan for proof that the 4.OO0
pounds mentioned Is much below the
correct figures.
WINGsBoRo', S. c.. Sept. 6, 1880.
Agjor Henry Hcu,mond u. S. Supervisor :.
DEAR MAJOR--I am In recent of
your letter of the 4th inst, and proceed
as requested, 20 give you an account OF
my experience with
LUCERNE IN FAIRFIELD, 8. C.
have lot containing one.half acre,
WHICH WA q part of an old worn out
field. planted in it corn for few
years, when nut.grass became great
pest; In order to Kill the nut.grass had
II pioughed five times, quite shallow.
during Jily and August In September,
1873, it was well manured aud then
ploughed with two horse turning
plough, followed by bull-tongue. The
subsoil is a stiff red clay. This red clay
lies near the surface and was turned up
80 that the lot looked like purely red
clay soil. 1t was then narrowed with a
revolving harrow. then, ON 10Th Sep.
tember, planted clover 1t came up we'll
and gave me two goo cuttings i'm 1874.
In 1875 I got one poor cutting, the
nutgrass having nearly choked the clover
out. On September 7 had the lot
ploughed with turning plough, har.
rowed, and planted with ten pounds of
lucerne seed broadcast. 1t came up
thick, and so did the weeds; 80 that in
March, 1875, nothing was visible except
the weeds. had tho lot cut close to the
ground, and six barrels of gas.limo
lshell) spread upon the surface. The
lucerne grew9up with some weeds. After
the next cutting the weeds disap.
peared and have never been able to con-
tend with the lucerne eince; and the
nut-grass is visible only scatteringly, so
That search Is necessary to discover that
there is any. The lucerne gave four
good cuttings in 1876, the summer fol.
lowing the fall when planted. 1 keep
three horses aud two COWS. / compared
my hay bill from March TO October,
both iuclusive of 1875, with the same
expense for life period of 1877, and
found II to be $64 greater. But 1 used
only East River" hay which is costly.
In 1878 had ten cuttings, averaging
over two and n half feet each, the lu
cerne being very thick. Each of these
;sii cu..t::::ss Sa' he hsif-acre would
weigh crer 1000 pounds. In 1876 we
had drought, and the lrcerne was cut
only six times.
This summer we have had another
drought, and 10 this time have bad
only four cuttings. frst cut ABOUT the
middle of March and stop early in Octo.
ber. give the whole heavy top dress
ing Of stable manure, following each
days cutting with dressing fol- :..,e sur.
face cut until the whole lot is manured.- :
The lucerne remains green all the year;
stand from six to eight inches high dur.
ing winter. No replanting is necessary.
There are plants in garden here which
the old lady to whom the garden belongs
has known as individual plants for over
fifty years.. never allow any animal to
graze upon my lucerne. The halfacre
affords green food sufficient for three
horses and two COWS.
My success has induced some ten or
eleven citizens of this town to plant lu.
cerne lots, all successfully. AS lucerne
is not cotton, ncae Of the planters of this
country have attempted to raise lucerne !;
and this country imports large quaint.
ties of hay and baled fodder each year.
Very respectfully,
/ JAMES III. RION.