The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-08
The Growing bf Lucerne in the
SDufh

This plant is 81 well adapted to our
climate it is matter of surprise that it
has not made morl Roadway in the Guilt
walton of southern farmers. There are
few, comparatively that have given it a
fair trial. AS remarked previously. in re-
gard to clover, it is too common practice
for farmers to test new plants and new
methods-such as do test them at all-on
their very poorest lands, and, of course,
the chances generally are altogether
against the new plants. Many an erron-
eous conclusion has been arrived at from
such practice, and time and again one
may have heard some farmer or other
assert, with all the dogmatism imaginable,
that 'he tried such plant one year, and
found it perfectly worthless. Seed did not
come up, or the plant grew too slow, or
his stock did not like it, or it was too
exhaustive, or required too much trouble,
or something or other, he did not know
exactly what. Any way he arrived, at
very satisfactory conclusion in reference
to the matter, and he appeared as an ad-
vocate, or denouncer, as accident might
have it. Hasty conclusions are certainly
unwise, and farmers, above all others,
SiOulu beware Oh llGIn. Let 1t De re-
membered that even a one years expert
ment on rich or fairly rich land is worth
something, while on poor or worn out land
1t is worth little or nothing. Still more
worthy of recollection is the fact that
any exhaustive crop (so-called) is nee
essarily a valuable crop.
That is the very kind of crop we should
endeavor to have every time. The object
Of farming is to secure nutrition, not
woody dber-quality, not quantity. We
want to draw out (exhaurio) as much
as possible. Ii nature offers US a large
bill In payment of our effort we have only
to give back the proper change, and all
will be right. She pays US in organic mat
ter and is satisfied with change in inor-
ganic matter, principally accepting it as
If it were paper for gold. And If we do
not pay back yearly, we will have a COM
pound payment to make at a later period
Let us accept thankfully all the Tex
haustive" crops held out to u.s. Lucerne
is just such a crop. 1t requires rich land
or land of good texture, well-manured to
produce a crop that can be easily moved
1t requires that the soil be thoroughly and
deeply plowed, and we'll pulverized at SOW
ing time, but it requires very little COM
pared with the return it makes. Once es-
tablished it will occupy the soil for ten to
thirteen years, affording from four to sew
en- cuttings per year, and from one to two
tons Of hay per cutting, according to the
quality of land on which 1t grows, The
best time to sow it is in the month of Sep
TENDER and October, but it will succeed
soWn in November, The soil should be
thoroughly plowed and narrowed or rak-
ed, and then laid off in rows Is or 20 inches
apart, shallow burrows, just as for tur-
nips, and three or four pounds of seed
SoWn, then covered with rake and rolled
A barrel will answer for a roller to
tha Garth fo he ~, oh
sence of a regular roller
The quantity of seed mentioned is suffi-
Gent, if they are first class. When sown
broadcast, as practiced by California far
Tners twenty pounds of seed is used, but
in their practice they have the advantage
of irrigation. Only on rich bottom land
could we afford to sow it broadcast. On
uplands, it is far better to sow in drills, so
1t can be plowed with a sweep occasionally
during the first eighteen months.
Early in the spring, after fall sowing, the
middles should be well broken with mar
row scooter, and after that sweep used
to destroy all grass and weeds, and let the
lueerne take full possession. After the
first eighteen months it will be impracti-
cable to pillow it, as it will have become so
rank and occupy the middles so as to pre-
sent the appearance of having been sown
broadcast. However carefully now
Cd some seed will be bound
TO mature, and these falling In the mid
dies will terminate and grow, but will not
be able to compete with the original
growth, but will prevent any washing of
soil or any blowing. Weed will hardly
spring up at this stage but if they should
they must be pulled UP by hand. No
stumps or large rocks should be allowed
10 remain in the field to interfere with
moving. The impression is a very general
one that lucerne cannot be pastured, and
ths dscourages some from adopting tt
those who prefer pasturage to moving
crops But this is a great mistake. OF
course it may be pastured too close, and
merely injured, but there is not the least
necessity for 50 doing. Pasturing is a
very Wasteful proceeding with any crop,
out II seems necessary to resort to the
practice, and in the case of lucerne, if il
IS pastured when the soil is dry, as must
De the case with any other crop, if il is
desired to economize the pasture and pre-
serve the land, 1t can be pastured as well
as any other crop When the lucerne has
grown out and just before it blooms and
curing blooming the stock may be turned
on 1t, and may remain so long as the soil
Is dry, or until they have eaten so close
as to endanger the crown of the plant,
'Aen they must be taken off