The Opelousas courier., 1895-10-19
FARMERAND PLANTER.
E MANURING.
Tho Value Of Lucerne as . Fertilisil
Ageyry.

OF the soil? In two ways. One by add
ing TO it that part of themselves which
they obtain from the air, and the 9th
err by searching many feet into the
ground with their roots and bringing
to the surface the chemicals and fer
tilizing materials stored there, and
filtered from the surface for ages.
This is l~ucerne's method of benefit
ing the soil. This letter, from a prac-
tical farmer, SO completely explains
and nsw every point and question.
that we feel we can not add to it.
"fn September, 1894, | wrote a short
article about lucerne. Ihave received
letters concerning it from all parts of
the country, and at the request of my
friends all over the Union, 1 will talk
a little more about lucerne, it's habits,
uses and culture. Lucerne Will grow
on any land that will produce wheat.
corn Or potatoes, and will thrive on
many lands that none of these will
grow on, especially very light sand Or
gravel, though it does we'll on clay.
But it will not grow on any land that
the water stands within one foot of
liz uhu 10 III IL 9of
ing 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. 1t will also stand
all the water 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 crop in about
two months from the time that growth
commences. The second crop will ma
ture in about six weeks from cutting,
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. 1t will
yield about on an average of six tons
per acre, and | have known it to pro-
duce 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.
"Sowing-The best method Is to sow
broadcast about fifteen poWods per
acre where the land is in good condi-
ton, but on very weedy land or clear
gravel, Or sand that is very poor, put
about three pounds more. You cab NO
get any crop from it the first year, but
do not get discouraged If the plants
are on an average ten inches apart,
little, slim single stems about four
~ civ {rot,1c h5~1 Nor. r~rcrnnf
is good that you will get four
tons per acre next year, and the next
it will be as good as eve it will, and
stand that way for ten years 1t 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.
"Cultivation. 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 on washed
sand as will on the best garden
spot, but in a few years it will
make clear sand a rich land, ow-
ing to the decay of the root. The
roots will sink themselves for a dis
lance of ten to twenty feet straight
down. They are about one and a half
inches in diameter, and fully one-half
Of that root decays every year from the
outside, and keeps growing larger
from the center every year.
cit 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. Dc 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 worth
less for market. Heavy dews
are not good either. Take into
windrows if cut with a moving ma
chine, 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 forkfull 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 following
my directions you can put each on
perfectly clean at one fork-full, and
not waste time nor any of the leaves.
But right here let me warn you
against condemning it as a worthless
lot of sticks until you try your horses
and cows, and see 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 manager for a few days with 9TH
er hay; but in a few days you will see
the grass hay left while the lucerne is
cleaned up. A ton of lucerne 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 1t will
bloat them, which is apt to result in
death. II you wish to pasture it, first
feed your stock ell they can and will
eat, then turn them on the green lu-
cerne, and no harm will come to them.
1t is the best thing to renew old, worm
out land that l ever saw. and there Is
not q weed or anything else in this
country that can stand it.-Cor. South
ern Farm.
Keep Farm Records.
Every farmer is to a great extent a
manufacturer. and ought to keep a
record Of his operations. This is the
key to success in any business. But
the sni1tiiler should attend IN Soma