The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-10-26
FARMER AND PLANTER.
GREEN MANuRlNo.
rho value of Lucerne ~ . Tertiiising
Agency,

Agency.
| How can plants increase the fertility
of the sole 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, ana
| filtered from the surface for ages.
This is lucerne's method of benefit
ing the soil. This letter, from prac-
tical farmer. SO completely explains
and answers every point and question,
that we feel we can not add to it. +
I'm September. 1894. wrote 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, | will talk
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 well on clay.
But it will not grow on any land that
the water stands within one foot OF
the surface, and there is no use in sow
ing it in an all1ali 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. It Is a very quick grower,
!. and will mature the first crop in eboat
J 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 Eve weeks from
cutting of the second. The second
crop is the heaviest, but the first is
little the best feed, as it grows little
longer than the others. 1t viii
? yield about on an average of six tons
! per acre. and / have known it to pro-
/ duce double that quantity 1t is q
1 perennial of the clover tribe, but will
{ outyield It two to one, makes just as
e good feed, and has great advantage
= over the clover, for it never falls down,
: but stands up straight.
.Sowing-The best method isto sow
: broadcast about fifteen pounds per
acre where the land is in good cond''
:. tion, but on very weedy land or clear
!" gravel, or sand that is very poor, put
: about three pounds more. You can not
get any crop from it the first year, but
do not get discouraged Il Tie plants
are on an average ten inches apart
III little, slim single stems about foul
I'd to six inches high. Your prospec
II is good that you will get tce:
SO tons per acre next year. and the mex
it will be as good MS ever it will, ant
a stand that way for ten years. 1t il
best to SOW with grain. Oats are thu
best; thus you will lose no time bu
= can have u crop from your land ever.
= year. In fact 1t does better to have
is shaded when young. Sow tt the sam
time that you do spring grain.
cultivation. -Where there is plere
e. OF rain there is no cultivation needed
as it thrives fully as we'll on washe
, sand as will on the best garden
spot, but in few years it vii
make clear sand rich land, ov
! ing to tho decay of the root. tn
roots will sink themselves for di
lance of ten to twenty feet streiEf
~ down. They are about one and a ha
inches in diameter, and fully one-ha
of that root decays every year from til
outside. and keeps growing large
from the center every year.
1T should be cut when in full bloom
A little old is better than too yoinl
when the bloom Is ready to fall off
\ not too late. DO not cut too much
once, for II you allow q rain to come {
your hay after it is cut, Il will not
worth moro than one-half f
feed, and win be entirely wort
less for market. Heavy dcv
a are not good either. Rake in
. windrows il cut with moving m
chine, and let dry until 1t begins
let the leaves fall when handl'
roughly. then pick 1t MP and lay it
rs piles, Just one forkfull in pile
an cure. Do not roll it together or
!, will not load easily, then you W
have to pull it to pieces thus losil
= one>half CT the leaves. BY followi
J,, my directions you can put each
perfectly clean at one fork-full, a
- not waste time nor any Of the leav'
n But right here let mo warn y
y, against condemning 1t as q worthls
lot OF sticks until you try your hors
and cows, and see them clean up t
60 sticks before they do the leaves. The
- are not many animals that ia
ss' to It when dry, without having it
> their lnanger for few days with O
err hay; but in few days you will
nd the grass hay left while the lucerne
cleaned up. A ton of lucerne will ]
:. go quite as far rs a ton OF timothy.
IA not let hungry cattle get on it VIII
the green, especially when wet, for 1t "
l our bloat them, which is apt to result
" ,grs death. II you wish to pasture it. Fl
-. feed your stock all they can and
eat, then turn them on the green
cerne, and no harm will come to the
1t is the best thing to renew old, wo
81 out land that ever saw. and there
not weed or anything else in I
country that can stand it.-Cor. Sou
ern Farm.
Keep Farm Records.
\ Every farmer is to great exten
manufacturer. and ought to kee
| II. Sc