The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-21
Lucerne Culture.

soil i devoted to Lucerne culture will this
snlendid perennial plant occupy promi-
,a,,t nlace in the new farm system that
ttonsspds Of southern farmers will enter
mon before the close of this century.
of course it is of no use to attempt to
c,rov it on wornout soils, and it is not
snecjallv advisable that the attempt be
80, aven on medium land unless one is
,,ro,ared to fertilizs and cultivate properly
ia if can take a firm hold upon the soil,
and 90 it parts toward enricbing the soil
uron which it grows.
5Ieet the requirements of the case fully,
and there are few plants that will be found
r. he Of more value to the southern stock
crower than Lucerne, or Alfalfa, as it is
more generally called in the west.
It's not 6 true clover, though it be longs
70 the same natural family as the clovers.
rncerne is called variously French
clover Chill clover" Spanish clover"
ard Brazilian clover" and perhaps dozens
Of other names. Like the Vetch, it is a
ulent of lofty lineage, being known and
valued by the Greeks and Romans over
1000 years ago. The latter are said to have
brought it from Media nearly 500 years be
fore Christ. Its scientific name (Medicago)
is derived from that country, while the
name by which we call it is derived from
I,ucerne. a district of Switzerland. The
name Alfalfa is Spanish. Under this name
il was introduced into California from
South America nearly forty years ago. In
that state no other plant occupies SO high a
place in the esteem of stockmen, and no
doubt it will be as highly estimated some
dav in this section of the country. 1t will
not be, though, until farmers are prepared
to devote portion of their very best sandy
loans to its culture.
To do we'll Lucerne must have a deep,
sandy loan with q good subsoil. Clay
leans that are well prepared and properly
enriched, and the crop carefully cultivated
until it is firmly established will also afford
the best of conditions for growing the crop
successfully.
As Lucerne is good for twenty years or
more when once well established, no one
who wants this crop in perfection should be
unwilling to bestow ali necessary care in
giving it the proper start off.
The best time to sow Lucerne in this lati-
tude and lower is from October 10 to No
vember 10, and the next best time about the
middle of February. We have sown 1t in
small way the middle of December, and
bad freezing weather to strike the young
Lucerne just as it was coming up without
damaging it in the least.
When sown in October the Lucerne gets
such a start on the weeds and crab grass it
renders the establishment of the Lucerne a
very easy matter.
In most Of cases it is much better to SOW
Lucerne in drills and keep it perfectly clean
with hos and harrow or sweep for at least
two summers, and then with a very little
care it can readily take care of itself for the
neat ten years. OF course top-dressing of
manure must be given now and then IN the
fall or early winter.
We know of numerous ventures in Lu-
cerne culture that were thwarted simply
from the use of defective seed. Thousands
Of pounds 81 worthless (fraudulent) Lucerne
seed have been sold in this country from
first to last, and many southern farmers
have made their first attempts to establish
an acre or two with such seed, and the
failure that necessarily followed threw
damper on any further attempts.
After going to the trouble and expense of
and maturing properly the soil
they set apart for Lucerne, and after wait
ing weeks and moaths for the crop to make
a show for itself, gave it up in disgust and
denounced Lucerne as humbug
wouldn't even come up" some of them
said. These failures, in the incipiency as
they were, discourage great many from a
second attempt. The only bar that lay be-
tween failure and glorious success possibly
was in their using defective seed.
Be sure and get fresh sound seed, aud get
them early enough to test them before SOW
in the field
With good soil, deeply broken and we'll
pulverized, good seed sown as carefully as
one would sow turnip seed. with the sowing
made in October or November. there is no
reason why good stand of Lucerne should
not be obtained in nine cases out of every
ten.
Lucerne is valuable primarily as green
soiling plant or pasture for light stock
calves, yearlings and sheep. An acre of it
in close proximity to the barn or cattle pens
if that acre is made to do all that it ought
to do by virture Of its location, its closeness
to the manure pile should make it the most
valuable acre ON the farm.
When sown in October Lucerne will give
two or three good cuttings the following
summer and fail, and the next year it will
give probably half dozen 1t is not best,
however. to tax it too severely by frequent
cuttings the first year, but let it grow and
take thorough hold upon the soil, develop
ing full root growth as early as possible, and
cut it only when it indicates disposition to
form seed pods.
The preparation of the soil, manuring and
towing of the seed should ba most thor
oughly and carefully done. 1t is certainly
entitled to all this care, for if the Lucerne
is once completely established forage crop
assured FIR May years.
II IL is decided to make the start in the
iall the soil should be thoroughly plowed
AID cross-plowed early in October. If the
SOL Is not naturally rich liberal quantity
should be applied and plowed in. The land
should be thoroughly harrowed--harrowed
until it is mellow and fine like garden seed
oad. Light drills, no deeper than those for
t1TOIOs SbarfJ ba Ia;d npr NTH r-arda-