The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-07
Luct.rne,


The increased interest manifesed in the
cultivation of this valuable plant as evin.
ced in frequent correspondence and in
quiries (of late) in your journal, is en-
couraging. 1t points to. better fed stock,
more rich milk and butter, especially in
our barren "cottonbelt,: where so little
attention is paid to proper food for man
and beast.
Having planted lucerne for many years,
and studied its history and habits as care
fully as possible, I freely offer my ex-
perience and advice, with reference to its
culture. if it will only serve to enlist a
greater enthusiasm, and efforts to cult.
vate it in increased areas. IT'S one Of
the oldest plants cultivated, as far back
as history teaches of "stock husbandry,"
and belongs to temperate and semi
tropical country. 1t revels in the sun
is in great degree independent Of con.
tinual rains, withstands the severest
droughts of summer and winter, and will
not bear irrigation to any extent. Its
tap root penetrate to an incredible distanc
in the earth, and thus puts it beyond the
reach or effects of our summer and au-
tumnal droughts, which tell 80 disastrous.
ly upon other clovers and cultivated
grasses, especially in our loose soils. Lu'
cerne wants sandy soil, a dry, porous
subsoil-a soil filled with humus Tor de-
caying vegetable matter,) with an ample
supply of potash. Like others of the
leguminae, it needs this latter mineral
food to large degree-obtaining its nj
trogen elsewhere, does not require as
much of this as the cereals.
An old duug.h;ll, richly bestrewed with
ashes or trash for a long time, is the
..ome for this plant, and as the supplies
of proper foodare exhausted by continual
groupings, they must be supplied by top
dressings in winter and spring with ashes
and plaster and rotten stable manure. Its
capacity to yield is limited only by the
supplies of food gisen it at that period
when the rains will carry the greatest
amount to the surface roots. I beg to
offer my mode of preparing the land and
after cultivation.
Selecting q dry, elevated plat of sandy
soil, I.make it rich by application of such
manures az above mentioned, and this re-.
uuires more than one season. 1t may
take longer than most persons are will
ing to wait for and expend; and here
let me say, that if the ground is not rich,
my advice is to let the costly seed alone.
1t will pay, however, for the outlay and
labor, to make soil rich, ifnot so natural
ly. The land must be deeply broken and
we'll subsoiled, if the under clay is hard
and impervious. Igrow crop of field
peas upon this plat as a cleaning crop
preparatory to putting in the seed the last
Of September, or soon after the usual
Equanoctial rains, when the soil is moist
and the nights are cool. The pea vines
are cut from the ground and removed,
and is we'll turned over, leaving no grass
or trash save the pea vine roots, which
are easily gathered up by rakes or har-
rowed up. An application of good
phosphate with but little ammonia 1900
pounds to the acre) helps most wonder
fully to speed the growth of the plants
This is narrowed on well, the land made
smooth for the scythe or mower, and the
seed carefully distributed, at tho rate Of
25,or 80 pounds to the. acre. II you are
not satisfied the seed are fresh and good
put in 80 pounds. The books say l5 to
20. This is not enough to stud the land
thick, and the object is now las your
land is clean) to crowd out all future weeds
and grass.
4. 1 much prefer the broadcast culture fol
soilirg or forage purposes. For saving
seed for market or use, the drilled plants
cultivated, yield the best and most seed
and here let me warn growers not to at
tempt to use hoe or plough after the cool
spring months. Any attempt to hoe lu'
cerne in sandy soil, to clean it Of weeds
and grass in midsummer or autumn
will eventually destroy it. The injury tt
the roots will certainly ipjure its vitality
and cause it to die out sooner. | keel
my alleys clean till the first cutting
working it early in spring.
After that cut it with grass which
may occupy the middles. Lucerne i:
more hardy, and stands its own witt
weeds and grass better than most cult
vators suppose. 1t grows very well in
thick sward in lawn under the shade O.
trees, reappearing as often as the othel
grass is cut, and as lasting and as tenac
ious as blue grass or orchard grass, if no
trodden down by stock.
The next best time to put in lucern'
in this climate, is the last of February'o
first of March. If delayed all this time
the drill system is the best, as you nov
have time to give it work, and the broad
cast will soon be oyerrun with weeds ant
grass. The object, therefore, for fal
sowing, is to get it, by a full winter
growth, to completely occupy every incl
of the land. You cannot obtain this b!
broadcasting in spring. Lucerne vii
grow all through our mild winters. I Gu
crop of hay from mine the middle o
October last, and there was no month du
ring chat winter that my sheep failed tt
get good grazing.
1 find the California or "Bur Glover,
ian annual and lucerue) q good crop tt
grow with the other. The first cutting ii
mived and tha after leaves and vines q