The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-10-23

But it will not grow on any land that
the water stands within one foot of
the surface, and there is no use in
it in an alkali that is strong
enough to keep wheat from growing.
Though particular about wet land, it
will stand any amount of wet in the
summer as long as there is plenty of
drainage. It will also stand all of the
in the winter that may fall in
the shape of rain, or snow that may
melt. 1t is a very quick grower, and
will mature the first crops in about
two months from the time that growth
commences. The second crop will
mature in about six weeks from cut
ting, and the third in about five weeks
from cutting of the second. The
second crop is the heaviest, but the
first is a little the best feed, as it grows
a little longer than the others. It
will yield about on an average of six
tons per acre, and I have known it to
produce double that quantity. 1t is a
perennial Of the clover tribe, but will
outyield it two to one, makes just as
good feed, and has a great advantage
over the clover, for it never falls down,
but stands up straight .at#'a7-
"Sow1Na.-The best method is to
SOW broadcast about fifteen pounds
per acre, where the land is in good
condition, but on very weedy land or
clear gravel or sand that is very poor,
put about three pounds more. You
cannot get any crop from it the first
year, but do not get discouraged if the
plants are on an average of ten inches
apart, little, slim single stems about
four or six inches high. Your pros
pect is good that you will get four
tons per acre next year, and the next
it will be as good as ever it will, and
stand that way for ten years. It is
best to SOW with grain. Oats are the
best; thus you will lose no time, but
can have a crop from your land every
year. In fact it does better to have
it shaded when young. Sow at the
same time that you do spring grain.
"CULTIvArIoN.-Where there is
plenty of rain, there is no cultivation
needed, for it would be unwise to
manure it, as it thrives fully as we'll
OF washed sand as it will on the best
garden spot, but in a few years it will
make clear sand a rich land, owing to
the decay of the root. The roots will
sink themselves for a distance of ten
to twenty feet straight down. They
are about n and a half inches in
diameter, and fully one-half of that
root decays every year from the out
side, and keeps growing larger from
the centre every year.
alt should be cut when in full
bloom. A little old is better than too
young; when the bloom is ready to
fall off is not too late. Do not cut too
much at once, for if you allow a rain
to come on your hay after it is cut, it
will not be worth more than one-half
for feed, and will be entirely worthless
for market. Heavy dews are not
good, either. Rake into windows if
cut with a moving machine, and let
dry until it begins to let the leaves fall
when handled roughly, then pick it up
and lay it in piles, just one forkful in
a pile, to cure. Do not roll it together
or it will not load easily; then you
will have to pull it to pieces, thus
losing one-half of the leaves. By fol-
lowing my directions you can put each
on perfectly clean al one forkful, and
not waste time nor any of the leaves.
But right here let me war; you against
condemning it as a worthless lot of
sticks until you try your horses and
COWS and g them clean up the sticks
before they do the leaves. There are
not many animals that take to it when
dry without having it in their manger
a few days with other day; but in a
few days you will see the grass hay
left, while the lucern is cleaned up. A
ton of lucern will not go quite as far
as a ton of timothy. Do not let hungry
cattle get on it while green, especially
when wet, for it will bloat them, which
is apt to result in death. If you wish
to pasture it, first feed your stock all
that they can and will eat, and then
turn them on the green ~lucern, and no
harm will come to them. It is the
best thing to renew old, worn-outland
that l ever saw, and there is not a
weed or anything else in this country
that can stand before it.-Southern
Cuhsvdto9. r.
RICE BREAD.-Beat three eggs with