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

By permission of Major Hammond and
Col. Rion we give our readers and ac-
count of the success with which lucerne
can be raised in Fairfield. Col. Rion
refers to Mr.. w. B. McCreight and Mr..
Thomas Jordan for proof that the 1000
pounds mentioned is much below the
correct figures.
W1NNsBoRo', S. c., Sept. 6, 1880.
Najor Henry Hommond u S. Supervisor !:
DEAR MAJoR-I am in receipt of
your letter of the 4th inst, and proceed i,
as requested, to give you an account of
my experience with
LUCERNE IN FAIRFIELD, 8. C.
have lot containing one-half acre,
which was a part of an old worm out
field. I planted in it corn for few
years, when nut.grass became great
pest. In order to kill the nut.grass had
it ploughed five times, quite shallow.
during July and August. In September,
1873, it was we'll manured and then
ploughed with two horse turning
plough, followed by bull.topgue. The
subsoil is a stiff red clay. This red clay
lies near the surface and was turned up
so that the lot looked like purely red
clay soil. 1t WAS then narrowed with a
revolving harrow. I then, on 18th Sep.
tember, planted clover. 1t came up we'll
and gave me two good cuttings in 1874.
In 1875 got one poor cutting, the
nutgrass having nearly choked the clover
out. On September 1 had the lot
ploughed with o turning plough, har.
rowed, and planted with ten pounds of
lucerne seed broadcast. 1t came up
thick, and so did the weeds; SO that in
March, 1876, nothing was visible except
the weeds. 1 had the lot cut close to the
ground, and six barrels of gas-lime
[shell) spread upon the surface. The
lucerne grew|up with some weeds. After
the next cutting the weeds disap'
peared and have never been able to con-
lend with the lucerne since; and the
nut.grass is visible only scatteringly, 80
that search is necessary 10 discover that
there is any. The lucerne gave four
good cuttings in 1876, the summer fol-
lowing the fall when planted. l keep
three horses and two COWS. l compared
my hay bill from March to October,
both inclusive of 1875, with the same
expense for life period of 1877, and I
found it to be S64 greater. But used
only "East River" hay which is costly.
In 1878 I had ten cuttings, averaging
over two and half feet each, the lu
cerne being very thick. Each of these
ten cuttings off the half-acre would
weigh over 1000 pounds. In 1876 we
'had drought, and the lucerne was cut
only six times.
This summer we have had another
drought, and to this time / have had
only four cuttings. I first cut about the
middle of March and stop early in Octo-
Der. give the whole heavy top dress
ing of stable manure following each
days cutting with dressing for the 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 a 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
Craze upon my lucerne. The half.acro
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, none of the planters of this
country have attempted to raise lucerne; ;
and this country imports large quanti-
ties of hay and baled fodder each year.
Very respectfully,
IIMEe RI RJON