The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-06-17
Our Turf Of Alfalfa or Lucern.

be wondered at that n crop that is val.
ued in some localities is unknown in
others.
But it is somewhat surprising that in.
many of the Southern States, where
the want Of forage is so much felt. the
culture Of a plant SO admirably adapted
to the soil md climate has so long been
neglected. In a visit to Florida, in Feb
ruary, 1888, I was impressed, ~ every
Northern man must be, with the utter
denrth Of forage plants, and as II consc-
4uenco, the hungry and measrc starved
looking cattle. TO my inquiries every
where. the same reply vas given that
M good grass or clover could be found
to stand the heat and drought Of their
long Fortunately. in allud.
ing to the subject. while in the COM
pnny of Mr.. r. Bronson. Of st Angus
tine. Florida, he promptly showed n
practical solution of the difficulty by
taking me to q patch Of alfalfa about the
one-Sixtcenth part Of an acre. From
that little patch Mr.. Bronson assured me
that he had fed a cow during the sum
nrcr months, getting MS fine milk and
butter as ever he got North ; and rurth-
ar said that twice that area, or one
eighth part Of an acre would b. ample
to supply a COW with food during the
entire season. The land used by Mr..
Bronson for his experiment with alfalfa
was identical with the thousands Of
acres in his immediate vicinity, which
was given over to the blue palmetto and
scrubby pines, through which the goat
like cattle browse sut q miserable cxis-
tcnce. Mr.. Bronson, though only an
amateur, is q careful observer, and an
enthusiastic student in everything that
relates to agriculture. In the culture Of
alfalfa for Florida and other Southern
ATTITUDES, he advises that the crop be
sown early in the fall-carly enough to
attain q height of four or five inches
before growth is arrested by cold wealth
or. in Florida say from LIST to 18th OF
October.
The soil best suited for the growth Of
Alfalfa is that which is deep and sandy !;
hence the soil Of Florida and many
other portions of the cotton belt is III
inently fitted. The plant makes II tap
root with few laterals. and it's roots are
often found at a depth Of six or c,gh,
feet thus drawing food from depths en-
tirely beyond action Of drought or heat
When alfalfa is to be grown on a large
scale. to get ut the best results, the
ground chosen should be high and level.
or it not high, such as is entirely from
under water. Drainage must be as near
perfect rs possiblc-cithcr naturally or
artificially. This in TACT is Il primary
necessity for every crop-unlcss it be
such as is aquatic or s%ub.aquaiic.
Deep blowing, thorough narrowing
and ~leveling with that valuable implc-
ment, he smoothing hlrrow." to get n
smooth and level surface, are the next
operations. This should be done in the
Southern States from LIST to 10Th Octo-
ber-or at such season in the fall as
would he soon enough to ensure growth
of four or five inches before the season
Of growth stops. Draw out lines on the
prepared land twenty inches apart (f
for horse culture, but If for hand culture
fourteen inches), and two OF three inches
deep. These lines are best made by
what market gardeners call a "marker."
which is made by mailing six tooth
sharpened pickets six or eight inches
long at the required distance apart to n
three by four inch joist. to which n
handle is attached which makes the
marker or drag. The first tooth is SO,
against a garden line drawn tight across
the field, the marker is dragged back
wards by the workman, each tooth mark
ing n line thus the six teeth mark six
lines. If the line is set each time but i,
Is best to place the end tooth of the.
marker in a line already made, so that
in this way only five lines IRE marked ai
once, but It is quicker to do this than
move the line. The lines being marked
ont, the seed is sown by hand or by
s""d-drill, at the rate Of eight to twelve
pounds per acre. After sowing-and
this rule applies to all seeds If sown by
hand-thcs seed must be troddcn in by
walking on the line SO MS to press the
seed down into drills After trcadins
in, the ground must be lcvcled by rak-
ing with n wooden or steel rake along
the lines lengthways-not across. Tha.
done, it would be advantageous to use n
roller over the land, so as TO smooth the
surface and further firm the seed, bu.
this il not Indispensable. When seeds
are drilled in by machine. the wheel
presses down the soil on the seed, so
that treading in with the feet il not
necessary. After the seeds g,er,ninste 81
az to show rOus. which ,c;il lao from, t,y,,