Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-12-15
SARNEROsN.
Something About This New Forage
Plant.

Something About This New Forage
Plant.
Our Nevada and California exchanges for
the past several months have contained nu.
merous articles about the new forage plant
above named. The San Francisco Bulletin
publishes the following article about the
plant, which is from the annual report OF
the Commissioner of Agriculture, and may
be interesting to some OF our agricultural
readers if they have not before seen it:
"This leguminous forage plant has recent.
ly been introduced into this country under
the name of "Asperset." Esparsette is the
German name; SaDfoin is the name used in
France and England. 1t is a perennial,
having somewhat the appearance Of Lucerne,
but of smaller size and different habit. 1t
seldom exceeds one and one half feet in
height, with weak stem, rather long, pin
nate leaves, and flowers Of pink color in a
close spike, two to four inches in length,
raised on a long, naked peduncle, or stalk,
The flowers are succeeded by short, single.
seeded pods, which are strongly reticulated
or marked by raised lines and depressed pits.
1t is native Of Central and Southern Eu
rope and Western Asia, and in Europe has
long been in cultivation.
From experiments made by the Duke OF
Bedford in England we learn that it was
first introduced to English farmers as plant
for cultivation from Flanders and France,
where it had been long cultivated. 1t was
found to be less productive than the broad
leaved clovers, but on chalky and gravelly
soils there was abundant proof Of the supe.
riority Of Sainfoin. 1t produces but little
heritage the first year, but improves in guam,
tity for several years. Martin !. Sutton, in
recent work on Permanent and Temporary
Pastures, says that it has been cultivated
in England for over two hundred years. He
says that it is essentially food for sheep,
and in pa>turing the sheep do it no injury.
1t is also useful for horses, but produces
nothing like the quantity Of green fodder
that can be obtained from the Lucerne patch.
When sown alone Mr.. Sutton says that Sain-
run with weeds. He recommends its use as
a predominant constituent in mixture of
grasses and clovers. He says that combined
with strong growing grasses there is less
risk and the grasses keep down the weeds
which otherwise are apt to overrun the Sain-
fon.
In a green state it is quite free from the
danger of bloating cattle (hoven), and when
made into hay is an admirable and nutritious
food. But it requires great care in drying
when made into hay. Mr.. Sinclair states
that the produce of Sainfon on clayey
loan with sandy subsoil is greater than on
a sandy or gravely soil resting upon clay,
A French writer says that Sainfoin can not
accommodate itself to damp soil, and even
breads soil which, although dry, rests upon
a wet subsoil. 1t delights in dry soil, some
what gravelly, and, above all, calcareous.
1t hourishes upon the. declivites of hills,
where water can not remain, and in light
soil where its powrful root can readily Pene
rate. But although surviving in the poor
est calcareous soil, like clover and Lucerne,
its productiveness is always relative to the
permeability and fertility of the land. 1t
prefers open, sunny places, with southern
or eastern exposure. Sainfon has received
several trials in this country, bu; without
much success, probably from the experiments
having been made on unsuitable soil. We
cannot expect that it will be preferred in
places where clover succeeds, but in light
soils and in regions with light rainfall it
should receive thorough trial. A recent
bulletin of the Iowa Agricultural College,
gives the result of some experiments with
this plant which were very satisfactory.
Observations there made indicate that it
stands early freezing quite as well as Ken
lucky bluegrass. 1t produces at the rate OF
three tons of dry hay to the acre.