Year: 1867

the surface may be. 1t u0iu thrive o.


any of our lands made sufficiently ricl


and plowed to sufficient depth. Dee
blowing is essential, in order to enabl


its tsp root to sink rapidly into the earth


On lands destitute of clay, it is useless q


attempt its culture. 1t viii die out,
/ pastured much, under our fiery sun


After the month of June, it should b.
suffered to remain untouched during th,


summer, and grazed again as cool wealth


er commences. Red clover possesses 1


peculiar advantage to the southern
planter, not only for hay, but chiefly as


hog pasture In the spring, to last unit


the stubble fields are open. One Of tbs


greatest expenses of the plantation is the


cost OF meat. The most troublesome


season of the year in hOg-raising is the


spring Red clover meets the wants Of


that season. Every farmer should SOW


enOrgh red clover TO Craze his hogs al


that time. There is scarcely farm on


which suitable land cannot be found for


the purpose.


OF it as q fertilizer in a rotation oi


crops, il is unnecessary to Speak. II
grows well at the south ia woodland
which has been well thinned out.


LUcerne On many accounts, iucerne
is one of the most bountiful gifts Of ma
ture to the southern planter. No grass
or forage plant in cultivation at the north
| will yield near as much hay as lucerne
at the south. In good seasons, and on
| land sufficiently rich, it can be cut four
or five times during the year. An acre
of good lucerne will afford hay aud cut
green food for five horses the whole year.
! Ten acres will supply fifty head of planta-
| tion horses. This can be cut down in
day with a moving machine.
! 1t is useless to attempt the cultivation
! of lucsrne on poor land. Il will live,
abut It will not be profitable. There are
| certain Indispensable requisites in the
| profitable cultivation of lucerne. The
/ ground must be good upland; it must be
made very rich; it cannot be too rich
| II the ground is IS carefully prepared for
| it as an asparagus bed, the lucerne will
| spring almost with the rapidity latter
cuttingl of asparagus. 1t must De very
clean. When the lucerne is young it Is
delicate, and may be smothered with
the natural weeds and grasses of foul
soil. Land which has been in cotton,
worked very late, il made sufficiently
rich, is In good stste of preparation for
lucerne. The manure put upon it must
be free from the seeds of weeds; hence,
a mixture of guano and phosphate ma
nures would be an excellent application.
Great depth of cultivation is necessary
in preparation Of the soil for lucerne. II
the ground was broken up with four
horse plow, and in the same furrow
two horse sub-soil plow was run, stirring
it eighteen or twenty inches, it would be
to the advantage Of the subsequent crops
of lucerne.


Ten pounds Of seeds are required to an
acre, sown broadcast. Drilling is un-
necessary, if the ground be properly
prepared, and the lucerne is not pastured.
If the preparation has been imperfect,
and the lucerne to be occasionally pas.
tured, il is better to drill at such a dis
tsnce as will allow a narrow plow to be
passed between the rows when the sur
face requires stirring.


Either early in autumn or early in
February are good seasons for sowing lu-
eerne. 1t should be lightly narrowed
in, and then the surface should be rolled.
Lucerne lasts a great number of years,
the roots ultimately becoming as large as
a small carrot. 1t should be top-dressed
every thsSd year with some manure free
from the seeds Of weeds. Ashes are very
suitable for it.


The lucerne field should be near the
stables, as work horses during the spring
and summer should be fed with il in
green or wilted state. Hogs are very
fond Of it, and will thrive on it in the
spring, when it is cut green and thrown
to them.


This extended notice of lucerne is given
because 1t is remarkably adapted to our
soil and climate, and is, beyond all com
psrison, the most valuable plant for hay
making and soiling, to the southern
planter. II thrives in no part of Europe
with greater vigor than it does in the
southern states.


These observations of Mr.. Howard ere
not taken from hooks, but are the result
of his personal examination aud expert
ence, on Spring Bank farm, near Kings
ton, Georgia, and are therefore applica-
bic to almost every portion of the south
ern states-i. e. provinces.


At another time we will give partial
list, with some of the peculiarities and
mode of culture of some Of the best
grasses adapted to the southern states.