Chapter IX: Preface (9)

[188] I never suffer Sheep to come upon St. Foin, except betwixt
Mowing-time and _All-Saints_. And there is so much Danger of spoiling
St. Foin by the Fraud of Shepherds, that I knew a Gentleman that
bound his Tenant never to suffer any Sheep to come thereon; and by
this means his St. Foin continued in Perfection much longer than is
usual, where St. Foin is suffer’d to be fed by Sheep.

[189] Natural Grass is not kill’d by constant feeding, because no
sort of Cattle can bite it so low as to deprive it of all its Leaves;
and ’tis, like Eels, more tenacious of Life than the rest of its
Genius, and will send out Leaves from the very Roots when reversed,
as is too often seen where turffy Land is plow’d up in large Furrows.

I esteem St. Foin to be much more profitable than Clover, because St. Foin is never known to do any perceivable Damage to the Corn amongst which ’tis planted; but Clover often spoils a Crop of Barley[190]; and I have known, that the Crop of Barley has been valued to have suffer’d Four Pounds _per_ Acre Damage by a Crop of broad Clover’s growing in it in a wet Summer: In a dry Summer both Sorts of Clover are apt to miss growing; and if it does grow, and the next Summer (wherein it ought to be a Crop) prove very dry, it fails on most sorts of Land, tho’ it was vigorous enough to spoil the Barley the Year it was sown; at best, ’tis of but very short Duration, and therefore is not to be depended on by the Farmer, for maintaining his Cattle, which the broad Clover will also kill, sometimes by causing them to swell, unless great Care be taken to prevent it. The broad Clover is esteem’d a foul Feed for Horses. The Hop Clover is gone out of the Ground sooner than the broad Clover; I never knew it cut more than once: Indeed Cattle are never swollen by feeding on it; but then it affords but very little Feeding for them, except the Land whereon it grows be very rich.

[190] But this Damage may be prevented by drilling the Clover after
the Barley is an Handful high or more; for then the Barley will keep
it under, and not suffer it to grow to any considerable Bigness till
after Harvest; nor will this Drill, being drawn by Hand, do any
Damage to the Barley.

St. Foin is observ’d to enrich whatever Ground ’tis planted on, tho’ a Crop be taken off it yearly.

Poor Slate Land[191], when it has borne sown St. Foin for Six or Seven Years, being plow’d up, and well till’d, produces Three Crops of Corn; and then they sow it with St. Foin again.

[191] The Poverty of this sort of Land, lying upon Slate or Stone,
generally proceeds from the Thinness of it; and, if it were thicker,
it would be good Land: Much of this Earth, being dispersed among the
Crannies or Interstices of the Slate and Stone to a great Depth, is
reach’d by the Tap-roots of the St. Foin, but cannot be reach’d by
the Roots of Corn; and therefore, when constantly kept in Tillage, is
of small Value: Upon which Account such Land is greatly improveable
by St. Foin, even when sown in the common manner.

Rich arable Land was planted with it, and mow’d annually with very great Crops (’twas drill’d in Nine-inch Rows, with Six Gallons of Seed to an Acre; One Crop of it was sold at Four Pounds _per_ Acre): This, after about Seven Years, and in full Perfection, was plow’d up by a Tenant, and continued for many Years after so rich, that, instead of dunging or fallowing it for Wheat, they were forc’d to sow that upon Barley-stubble, and to feed the Wheat with Sheep in the Spring, to prevent its being too luxuriant.

But ’tis to be noted, that the Land must be well till’d at the breaking up of old St. Foin, or else the First Crops of Corn may be expected to fail: For I knew a Tenant, who, the last Year of his Term, plow’d up a Field of St. Foin, that would have yielded him Three Pounds _per_ Acre; but, thinking to make more Profit of it by Corn, he sow’d it with White Oats upon once Plowing; and it proving a dry Summer, he lost his Plowing and Seed; for he had no Crop of Oats, and was forc’d to leave the Land as a Fallow to his Successor.

Many more Instances there are of this Failure of the Crop of Corn after St. Foin has been broken up, and not well till’d.

When St. Foin is grown old, and worn out, as ’tis said to be when the artificial Pasture is gone, and the natural Pasture is become insufficient for the Number of Plants that are on it, to be maintained; and is so poor, that it produces no profitable Crop, so that the Ground is thought proper to be plow’d up, and sown with Corn, in order to be replanted[192]; the most effectual Way to bring it into Tilth speedily, is, to plow it up in the Winter, with a Four-coulterd Plough, and make it fit for Turneps by the following Season; and if the Turneps be well ho’d, and especially if spent by Sheep on the Ground, ’twill be in excellent Order to be sown with Barley the following Spring; and then it may be drill’d with St. Foin amongst the Barley.

[192] Or if you perceive, that there is a competent Number of Plants
alive, and tolerably single; be they never so poor, you may recover
them to a flourishing Condition in the following manner, without
replanting: Pulverize the whole Field in Intervals of about Three
Feet each, leaving betwixt every Two of them Four Feet Breadth of
Ground unplow’d. When the Turf of these Intervals, being cut by the
Four coulter’d Plough, is perfectly rotten, one Furrow made by any
sort of Plough will hoe one of these Intervals, by changing the whole
Surface of it. The poorer the Land is, the more Hoeings will be
required; and the oftener ’tis ho’d, with proper Intermissions the
first Year, the stronger the St. Foin will become, and the more Years
it will continue good, without a Repetition of Hoeing.

The Expence of this cannot be great; because the Plough, in hoeing an
Acre in this manner Nine Times, travels no farther than it must to
plow an Acre once in the common Manner.

I need not tell the Owner, that the Earth of these Intervals must be
made level, before the St. Foin can be mowed.

To return to the Benefit Land receives by having been planted some Years with St. Foin: All the Experienc’d know, that Land is enriched by it; but they do not agree upon the Reason why.

They agree as to the Οτι, but not the Διοτι.

Some are of Opinion, ’tis because the St. Foin takes a different Sort of Nourishment to that of Corn: But that I think is disprov’d in the Chapter of _Change of Species_, where ’tis shewn, that all Plants in the same Soil must take the same Food.

Mr. _Kirkham_ thinks St. Foin has no collateral or horizontal Roots in the upper Part of the Ground where the Plough tills for Corn; and therefore has no Nourishment from that Part of the Soil which feeds the Corn. This would be a very good Account for it, were it not utterly contrary to Matter of Fact, as every one may see.

But so far it is right, that large[193] St. Foin draws the greatest Part of its Nourishment from below the Reach of the Plough; and what Part it does receive from the Staple is overbalanc’d by the Second Crop, or After-lease, being spent by Cattle on the Ground; different from Corn, which is very near wholly maintain’d by the plow’d Part of the Earth, and is all carry’d off.

[193] For large St. Foin, being single, has large Roots, and very
long, which probably descend Twenty Feet deep: Now, if we allow Four
or Five Inches the Depth of the Staple, to afford a Supply equal
to Two Feet below it, taking the lower Nineteen Feet Seven Inches
together, upon this Computation, the Part below the Staple gives the
St. Foin about Nine Parts in Ten of its Sustenance.

For tho’ the under _Stratum_ of Earth be much poorer than the upper; yet that, never having been drain’d by any sort of Vegetables, must afford considerable Nourishment to the First that comes there.

And besides, in such Land whose Poverty proceeds from the Rain’s carrying its Riches too quickly down through the upper _Stratum_, the under _Stratum_ must be the richer[194] for receiving what the upper _Stratum_ lets pass unarrested.

[194] In light poor Land the Water carrying some impregnated Earth
along with it down lower than it does in strong Land, that is more
tenacious of such impregnated Particles, the under _Strata_ of strong
Land are likely to be poorer than those of light Land.

’Tis well known, that many Estates have been much improv’d by St. Foin; therefore there is no occasion to mention Particulars. Only I will take Notice, that the First in _England_ was one of about One hundred and Forty Pounds _per Annum_, sown with St. Foin, and sold for Fourteen Thousand Pounds; and as I hear, continues, by the same Improvement, still of the same Value. This is, I suppose, the same that Mr. _Kirkham_ mentions in _Oxfordshire_.

Another Farm of Ten Pounds _per Annum_ Rent, which, whilst in Arable[195], was like to have undone the Tenant; but being all planted with St. Foin by the Owner, was lett at One hundred and Ten Pounds _per Annum_, and prov’d a good Bargain.

[195] These Estates consisted of thin Slate Land; which before it was
planted with St. Foin, was valued at two Shillings _per_ Acre, and
some Part of it at One Shilling _per_ Acre (as I have been inform’d);
and yet Oxen are well fatted by the St. Foin it produces.

If it should be ask’d, Why St. Foin is an Improvement so much greater in _England_, than in other Countries? it might be answer’d by shewing the Reason why _English_ Arable is of so much less Value than Foreign[196] where the Land is of equal Goodness, and the Corn produc’d of equal Price.

[196] ’Tis doubtless from the extraordinary Price of _English_ Labour
above that of other Countries, occasioned by _English_ Statutes being
in this Respect different from all other Laws in the World.

CHAP. XIII.

_Of_ LUSERNE.

_La Luserne_ is that famous _Herba Medica_ so much extoll’d by the Antients.

The high Esteem they had of its Use appears by the extraordinary Pains they bestow’d on its Culture.

Its Leaves resemble those of Trefoil: It bears a blue Blossom very like to double Violets, leaving a Pod like a Screw, which contains the Seeds about the Bigness of broad Clover, tho’ longer, and more of the Kidney-shape.

The Stalks grow more perpendicular than any of the other artificial Grasses that I know, slender, full of Knots and Leaves: ’Tis of very near an equal Bigness from Bottom to Top: When cut, if vigorous, the Stalks will spring out again from the Stubs, immediately below where the Scythe parted them; which makes them the sooner ready for another Mowing; an Advantage which no other Grass has.

It has a Tap-root that penetrates deeper into the Bowels of the Earth, than any other Vegetable she produces.

Tho’ one Luserne-root be much more taper than another towards the upper Part of it, ’tis sometimes seen, that a single ho’d Plant of it has many of these perpendicular Roots, some of them springing out from the very Branches of its Crown.

Its Roots are abundantly longer than the Roots of St. Foin: I have One that measures very near Two Inches Diameter: Those which are higher than the Ground have a Bark like a Tree. Upon this account, and by its Stalks springing again just below the Place where cut off, and by the woody Hardness of its Stalks, when they stand too long without cutting, it seems that Luserne is of a Nature nearly approaching to that of a Shrub.

Luserne is the only Hay in the World that can pretend to excel or equal St. Foin. I have known Instances of the pinguefying Virtue of this _Medica Hay_, that come up to the highest Encomiums given it by the _Romans_; which being to the Vulgar incredible, I forbear to relate, but leave to be confirm’d by the Experience of others, when it becomes frequent in _England_.

Luserne in Grass is much sweeter than St. Foin, or any other artificial or natural Grass. This, when ho’d, may be given to Cattle cut green, for Six Months; but then Care must be taken to[197] prevent their Swelling by its Lusciousness, and not to give them too much at once, until they be accustom’d to it.

[197] The Swelling of Cattle by eating too much green Luserne,
Clover, or Turnep-leaves, happens only to such as chew the Cud,
because they swallow more in less Time than other Cattle do; and a
large Quantity of such luscious Greens being swallow’d by a Beast,
fermenting to a great Degree, heats and rarifies the internal Air,
which by its Spring becoming too strong for that Column of the
Atmosphere that enters at the Trachea, it presses the Lungs against
the Thorax so closely, that the Weight of the external Column is not
of Force to open their Vesicles, and then the Circulation of the
Blood is stopt, and the Beast is strangled.

Most Farmers know how to prevent the Swelling, so that now-a-days it
seldom happens; but when it does, there is an effectual way of curing
it, if taken in Time: They cut a Hole into the Maw near the Back in
a proper manner, whereat the rarified Air rushes out, and the Lungs
again perform their Action of Respiration.

The Quantities of Luserne Seed annually imported, and sown without Success, not discouraging People from continuing its Importation, shews there is more need of a successful Way of Planting, than recommending it in _England_.

I shall take Notice of some of the Reasons why I conclude there is no Hope of making any Improvement by planting it in _England_, in any manner practis’d by the Antients or Moderns.

I wonder how any one should attempt to plant it here, who has seen in _Columella_, and other Authors, the Description of the manner the old _Romans_ planted it in. They chose out the very best Land, that was both _pinguis_ and _putris_; they dung’d and till’d it to the greatest Perfection, and laid it out in Beds, as we do for Onions or Asparagus; they sow’d it very thick, for that miserable Reason of enabling it by its Thickness the better to kill the Grass. The Beds being harrow’d very fine before Sowing, which was in the End of _April_; the Seed required to be speedily cover’d, lest the Sun’s Heat should spoil it. But with what Instrument must it be cover’d? For, after Sowing, the Place must not be touch’d with Iron. _At medica obruitur non aratro, sed ligneis rastellis._ ‘_Medica_-feed is cover’d, not with the Plough, but with little (or rather light) wooden Harrows.’ Two Days Work (of a Team) were spent on this Harrowing of one Acre. Some time after it came up, they scratch’d it again and again with the same wooden Instruments: This was call’d Sarrition: Then by Runcation they weeded it over and over, _Ne alterius generis herba invalidam medicam perimat._ ‘Lest other Grass should kill it whilst it was weak.’ The First Crop they let stand till some of the Seed shatter’d, to fill the Ground yet fuller of Plants: After that they might cut it as young as they pleas’d; but must be sure to water it often after cutting. Then after a few Days, when it began to spring, they repeated their Runcation: and so continuing to weed out all manner of Grass for the First Two or Three Years, it used to bring Four or Six Crops a Year, and last Ten Years.

_English_ Gardeners make Forty Pounds of an Acre of Asparagus, or Cabbage-plants, with half the Labour and Expence that was bestow’d on an Acre of _Roman Medica_.

We know not the Price Hay and Grass were at in _Italy_, while the _Roman Empire_ was in its Glory, and _Rome_, then the Metropolis of the World, drew the Riches of all Parts thither; its Price must be then very high.

And the _Romans_ had not only Servants, but plenty of Slaves, for whom they had scarce sufficient Employment: This might lessen the Expence of this tedious Method of Planting, and ordering the _Medica_. But when the _Romans_ were brought down to the Level of other Nations, and in Danger of being Slaves, instead of having them; and the Lands of _Italy_ came to be cultivated by _Italian_ Hands only; they found something else more necessary to employ them in, than the Sarritions, Runcations, and Rigations of the _Medica_. Their Labour being bestow’d in getting Bread for themselves, they substituted other artificial Grasses of more easy Culture, in the room of Medica, for the Food of their Cattle. They were so bigotted to all the Superstitions of their Ancestors, that they were content to lose the Use of that most beneficial Plant, rather than attempt to cultivate it by a new, tho’ more rational Method, when they were become unable any longer to continue it by the old.

Thus, as I take it, Superstition has chased _Medica_ from the _Roman_ Territories, and so little of it is planted there, that beyond the _Alps_ I could not find one whole Acre of it.

Luserne makes a great Improvement in the South of _France_: There, when their low sandy Land is well prepar’d, and very clean, they sow it alone, in _March_, and at _Michaelmas_, as we do Clover: Their sowing it at those Seasons is of a double Advantage: First, it saves the Labour of watering it, which would be impracticable for so many thousand Acres, as there are planted. Secondly, Those Seasons being much moister than that wherein the _Romans_ sow’d it, the Grub has Opportunity of eating more of it at its first coming up; and often the Frost kills some of it. By these Advantages the Ground is less over-stock’d.

The Summers there are much drier than in _Italy_, so that the Sun scorches up the natural Grass, and suffers it not to come to a Turf till after some Years; and therefore has less need of Weeding.

But as that natural Grass increases, the Crops of Luserne are proportionably diminish’d: And tho’ Luserne is said to last Ten or Twelve Years; yet it is in Perfection only for a very few Years. Whilst it is at best on their richest Land, and in a kind Summer, they have at Seven Crops Ten Tuns to an Acre, as I have computed them from the Relation of some of the Inhabitants of _Pezenas_. This was extraordinary: for I observ’d, that most of their common Crops made a very thin Swarth.

When the Ground begins to be turffy and hard, many of the Luserne-plants die, and the rest send up very few Stalks: The People know this is the Destruction of it, and therefore I have seen some of them, in that Case, half-plow it, thinking thereby to destroy the Turf: This does for a time much strengthen the Luserne-plants; but it so much strengthens the Grass also, that the Turf grows the stronger; and then there is no Remedy but to plow it up, make the Ground clean, and replant it.

In more Northern Climates, where it rains oftener, the Ground sooner becomes hard; and in the Land otherwise most proper for Luserne, the Grass grows infinitely faster, and will be as strong a Turf in Two Years, as in the hot Countries in Ten. Upon this Account, about _Paris_, even near the Walls, they plow up Luserne, and sow St. Foin in its room, because that endures Grass and hard Ground better, tho’ it brings but One Crop a Year, or Two at most.

And in many Places in _Franche Comtè_ and _Switzerland_, I have seen Luserne in the Corners of Vineyards, not above Two or Three Perches together, which they will at any Expence have to cure their Horses when sick; since they cannot obtain, by their Culture, Quantities sufficient to maintain them as their ordinary Food, there being too much Rain, and too little of the Sun’s violent Heat, to prevent the speedy Increase of Grass amongst it.

How then can we expect Success in sowing it in _England_, where Rains are yet more frequent, and the Sun is weaker? ’Tis not One Year in Ten, that the natural Grass is here scorch’d up. In our rich Land the Grass comes to a Turf very soon, and poor Land will not by the common Sowing bring Luserne to any Perfection, tho’ no Grass should annoy it.

I have here seen Part of a Meadow Breast-plow’d, and, when the Turf was dead, dug up and planted as a Garden: After it had been drill’d with Carrots, ho’d, and made, in all Appearance, perfectly clean, it was sown with Luserne, which came up and flourish’d very well the First Year, and indifferently the Second; but, after that, the Grass came, and the Luserne grew faint; and in Three or Four Years time there was no more left, but just to shew by here-and-there a single poor Stalk, that there had been Luserne sown, except one Plant of it, which was cleansed of Grass the Third Year; and this recover’d, and sent up Abundance of Stalks for Two Years after it; and then the Grass returning, that Plant dwindled again.

I have often try’d it in the richest Part of my Garden, and constantly find, that, however vigorously it grows at the first, yet it soon declines, when the Grass appears amongst it, which is always the sooner, by how much the Soil (in _England_) is richer, unless the Spade or Hoe prevent it.

Here have been also many Fields of a poorer whiteish Soil sown with it, which are not very subject to be over-run with Grass, as the rich Land is; and tho’ these were so well till’d as scarce any Grass appear’d, during the many Years the Luserne liv’d therein, yet it never grew to any Perfection here neither; nor was there any one Crop worth much more than the Cutting, it was always so poor, thin, and short. And, by what Intelligence I can get, all Experience proves, that every Soil in this Island is too rich, too poor, or too cold, for the Luserne Improvement by the common Husbandry.

I believe every one will be confirmed in this, who shall upon full Inquiry find, that, amongst the great Quantities which have been sown in this Kingdom in that manner, never any of it was known to continue good and flourishing Three Years; and that, on the contrary, never any one Plant of it in any warm Soil, cultivated by the Hoeing manner, was known to fail here, or in any other Country, as long as the Hoeing (or Digging about it, which is equivalent) was continued to it with proper Repetitions.

A Multitude of such hoed Plants have I known, and are now to be seen in both poor and rich Lands: Therefore it seems possible, that Thousands of _English_ Acres may be capable, by the Hoeing Culture, to produce Crops of Luserne every Year for an Age. For as the greater Moisture, and less intense Heat of this Climate, are, upon the Accounts mentioned, injurious to Luserne, yet this is only to such as is sown and cultivated in the common Manner, because our Climate, upon the very same Accounts, is very advantageous to hoed Luserne.

In hot Countries, when the Summer is drier than ordinary, the Sun so scorches it, that they have fewer and much poorer Crops, than in moister Summers; _viz._ only Four or Five, instead of Six or Seven; but, in the driest Summer I ever knew in _England_, hoed Luserne yielded the most Crops.

Our Summer Days are longer, have more of the Sun’s Warmth, and less of his fiery Heat; he cherishes, but never burns Luserne, or any other hoed long Tap-rooted Plant in _England_.

The well hoed Earth, being open, receives and retains the Dews; the benign solar Influence is sufficient to put them in Motion, but not to exhale them from thence. The Hoe prevents the Turf, which would otherwise by its Blades or Roots intercept, and return back the Dews into the Atmosphere, with the Assistance of a moderate Heat. So that this Husbandry secures Luserne from the Injury of a wet Summer, and also causes the Rain-water to sink down more speedily, and disperse its Riches all the Way of its Passage; otherwise the Water would be more apt to stand on the Surface, chill the Earth, and keep off the Sun and Air from drying it: For, when the Surface is dry and open, Luserne will bear a very great Degree of Heat, or grow with a mean one. I have seen this hoed Luserne, in a sheltry Place of my Garden, so much grown in a mild Winter, as to be measured Fourteen Inches and an half high at _Christmas_; and a very large single Plant of it, which had not been hoed for Two Years before, was laid bare by digging out the Earth all around it a Foot deep, to observe the Manner of its Tap-root; and then the Earth was thrown in again, and the Hole filled up. This was on the Twenty-seventh of _September_. Upon this mellowing of the Soil about it, it sent out more Stalks in _October_, than it had done in the whole Summer before; they grew very vigorously, until a great Snow fell in _December_, which also preserved the Verdure of them, till that was melted away, and a black Frost came after it, and killed those Stalks. It is probable this Plant sent out immediately new fibrous horizontal Roots, which did grow apace to extract the Nourishment from this new-made Pasture, in proportion to the quick Growth of the Stalks, which in Summer have been measured, and found to grow in Height Three Inches and an half in a Night and a Day; this being almost One Inch in Six Hours.

And it has been my Observation, that this Plant, in hot and cold Countries, thrives both with a much greater, or less Degree of Heat and Moisture, when it is hoed; for if it has Plenty of Nourishment, which Hoeing always gives it, a very little Heat above, and the Moisture alone (which is never wanting to the deep Tap-root) suffice, and that Plenty of Food enables it the better to endure the Extremes of either Heat or Cold.

We need not much apprehend the Danger of _English_ Winters; for Luserne will endure those which are more rigorous. In the Principality of _Neufchâtel_ the Winters are so severe, as to kill all the Rosemary left abroad; yet Luserne survives them there: This proves it more hardy than Rosemary, which is planted for Hedges in _England_; and here is scarce twice in an Age a Frost able to kill it.

I have one single Luserne-plant in a poor Arable Field, that has stood the Test of Two-and-twenty Winters, besides the Feeding of Sheep at all Seasons, and yet remains as strong as ever. What Quantity of Hay this Plant yearly produces, cannot be known, because at those times that Cattle are kept from it, the Hares constantly crop it, being sweeter than any other Grass.

But this happens to be fortunately situate, where ’tis not altogether destitute of the Benefit of Hoeing. ’Tis in an Angle, where, every time the Field is till’d, the Plough goes over it in turning from the Furrows of one Land and one Head-land; but it is after the Plough is lifted out of the Ground, and turned up on one side, so that the Share only breaks the Turf very small all around it, without plowing up the Plant: Yet it has escaped it so narrowly, that the Fin of the Plough-share has split it into Four Parts; Three of which remain, and grow never the worse, but the Fourth is torn off, and the Wound healed up.

By the extreme hard Winter that happened about the Year 1708, or 1709, some of the Luserne in _Languedoc_ was killed: Yet this was no Argument of its Tenderness, but rather the contrary; because then all the Olive-trees and Walnut-trees were there killed, tho’ the greatest Part of the Luserne escaped unhurt: And I did not hear one Walnut-tree was killed that Winter in _England_. Perhaps those in _France_, having being accustomed to much hotter Summers, were unable to endure the Rigour of the same Winter, that could do no Harm to the same Species in _England_, where our Winters do not seem to exceed some of theirs in Cold, so much as their Summers do ours in Heat. And since the Extremes are not so far asunder here, the same Degree of Cold may to our Plants seem tepid, which to those in _Languedoc_ must seem rigorous, differing a more remote Degree from the opposite Extremity of Heat in Summer.

And, besides the Difference of Heat and Cold in different Climates, there is another more necessary to be observed; and that is, the Difference of the Hardiness in different Individuals of the same Species: The same Frost that kills a faint languishing Plant of Luserne, will be despised by a robust one, which, being well fed by the Hoe, becomes a Giant cloath’d and fenced with a thick Bark, that renders it impregnable against all Weather; its Rind is to it a Coat of Mail or Buff, impenetrable by Frost: But the unhoed is generally small and weak; its thin tender Bark exposes it almost naked to the Frost; it being, for want of a sufficient Pasture, starv’d and half-dead already, ’tis the more easily killed by the Cold.

I formerly lived some Years in _Languedoc_, where are many Hundred Acres of Luserne; and I never could find a very large Plant amongst it, unless in such Pieces as had been plowed up, tilled, and sown with Corn: Here indeed those Plants that remained (as always some would do) grew to an extraordinary Bulk; and One of those single tilled Plants did seem to produce a greater Quantity of Stalks, than Twenty of such as had not been plowed up; and as there were no large Plants amongst the unplowed, so there were no small amongst the plowed ones. The same thing has been observed in all other Places where Luserne has been plowed[198].

[198] This Plowing is a Hoeing to the Luserne.

And in _Wiltshire_ several Grounds of it stood some Years without ever coming to a Substance to be of any Value, tho’ the Land was whitish, and scarce any Grass appeared amongst the Luserne; and therefore its Poorness was thought to proceed from the Soil’s being improper; but when it had been broken up, and sown several Years with Corn, and afterwards lain down with St. Foin, all the Luserne-plants which remained (and they were many) grew large and strong, shooting up a Yard in Height soon after the St. Foin was cut; and if there had been a competent Number of them undestroyed by the Plough, they would have yielded Crops of an extraordinary Value, where before Plowing it grew but few Inches above the Ground.

It seems that in this sort of Land the Earth grows stale, ere the Luserne arrives at a Tenth Part of its Stature: But this is most remarkable, that Tillage transforms those Luserne-plants from Dwarfs to Giants; and then they are able to contend with, if not conquer, so strong Plants as St. Foin is, tho’ before Plowing they were unable to resist the Depredations of a few hairy Spires of Grass.

Since Tillage can thus recover Luserne, after it has long languished in the lowest Ebb of Life, and restore it to Health, Youth, and Vigour, and augment its Stature even after it has passed the Age of its full Growth; to what Bulk would it arrive, regularly planted, and hoed from its Infancy to Maturity without any Check to stint it!

We can never know how poor a Soil will bear this Plant, unless it be tried by the Hoeing Culture.

For ’tis wondrous how so great a Man as Dr. _Woodward_ should imagine, that Difference of Soil should be the Reason why Apples in _Herefordshire_, and Cherries in _Kent_, succeed better than in other Places, when in truth they are seen to prosper as well almost all over _England_, where planted, cultivated, and preserved.

I believe Plants are more altered as to their Growth, by being cultivated or not, than by Change of Climates differing in very many Degrees of Latitude. I say, in their Growth, not always in their Fruit; for tho’ a Peach-tree, well cultivated in a Standard, will grow here vigorously, and be very beautiful; yet its Fruit will be of little Value, unless it be planted against a good Wall: So Luserne, unless cultivated upon a well exposed Gravel, will yield little Seed in _England_.

The Soil to plant it on is either an hot Gravel, a very rich dry Sand, or some other rich warm Land, that has not an under _Stratum_ of Clay, nor is too near the Springs of Water; for, if the Earth below be of a cold Nature, which I take to be occasioned by its holding of Water, the Luserne will not long prosper therein, of whatever Sort the upper _Stratum_ of Earth may be: This may be guessed at by the Vegetables a Soil naturally produces, as Fern, and the like; which, Mr. _Evelyn_ observes, do indicate a Soil subject to Extremities of Heat and Cold; and condemns such a Soil as accursed. I agree to that Sentence, as far as relates to Cold; but am not satisfied of its abounding with Heat; and I am sure I know some Land very subject to Fern, which is very far from being barren, when well cultivated, and well suited with Vegetables; but, from among these, Luserne must be excluded.

Luserne in hot Countries grows best near Rivers, where its Roots reach the Water, which helps to mitigate the excessive Heat of the Climate; but here the Heats are so moderate, that if Luserne-roots are in Water (for ’tis that that makes Earth cold) it diminishes too much the just Proportion of Heat, which Luserne requires.

The natural Poorness of an hot Gravel may be compensated by Dung, more Heat, and the Benefit of the Hoe.

The natural Richness of the other sorts of Land being increased by hoeing and cleansing it from Grass, Luserne will thrive therein with the less Heat; for what the Soil wants of one of these Two Qualities, must be made up with the other; and it has grown high in hoed rich Ground at _Christmas_, when that in Land of an hotter Nature, but poorer, has not been able to peep out, for want of more Nourishment: So, if rich Land be clayey, very wet and cold, tho’ very rich, it requires much Heat, for as high a Growth of Luserne at _Midsummer_.

The best Season of planting it in _England_ is in _April_, after the Danger of Frost is over; for a small Frost will destroy the whole Crop, when the Plants first appear; and too much Wet, with cold Weather, will rot the Seeds in the Ground; so that about the Middle of _April_ may be generally esteemed as the best Season for sowing this Seed.

The hoed Plants of Luserne having larger Roots, and yielding more Crops than those of St. Foin, Reason seems to require, that the Number of the former be less.

But, on the other hand, if we consider, that as the Luserne-roots exceed the St. Foin in Bigness, so they also do in Length, by as great a Proportion; being generally less taper, and as they go deeper, they have more Earth to nourish them; they also require a better Soil, and more frequent Aids from the Hoe; and, by their extraordinary quick Growth, receive a speedier Relief from it, than the Roots of St. Foin do.

Thus, if by reaching deeper in a better Soil, and being more hoed, Luserne receives, from a square Perch of Ground, Nourishment in a proportion double to that whereby its Roots exceed those of St. Foin in Bigness, then I do not see why we should not leave the Number of Luserne-plants double to the Number of those we leave in St. Foin.

But if the Excess of Nourishment were no more than the Excess of Bigness of Roots, I think an equal Number of Plants should be left in Luserne, and in St. Foin: Yet since the hot or cold Constitution of a Plant, and also the Quantity it can produce, ought to be considered, as well as its Bulk, in relation to the Nourishment it requires, more Trials are necessary for determining the exact Number of Luserne-plants proper to be placed on a square Perch, than have been hitherto made.

Perhaps it will be thought heterodox to maintain by any Arguments, that to err in falling somewhat short of the just Number, is not of worse Consequence, than exceeding it.

Where they stand at Four or Five Inches asunder in the Rows, ’tis observed, that tho’ the Intervals betwixt the Rows be wide, yet the Plants are much the larger, and produce more that stand in the outside Rows (the Ground without being clean); and especially those at each End of the outside Rows, that is, the Corner-plants, are largest of all. I need not say, that had all the other Plants as much Room and Tillage as the Corner ones have, they would be as large, and produce each as much Hay; for those which stand perfectly single in Places by themselves, are seen to be larger, and produce more, than those Corner ones; and of the larger and longer Roots our Stock does consist, the more Nourishment they are capable of taking, as has been shewn. Where some Plants of the Luserne have been planted Two Feet asunder, in poor dry Land, which was kept clean from Weeds, and frequently digged, each Plant has sent forth upward of Three Hundred Stalks, and these have been Six or Seven Inches high by the Middle of _March_.

And it must be likewise observ’d, that the Crop will be produc’d in Proportion to the Nourishment it receives; for if the most gigantic Luserne plant, which, when pamper’d by the Hoe, has made a Produce more like a Tree than an Herb, remains a few Years without that or some equivalent Culture, it will by little and little cease to produce more than a few poor sickly Stalks, just to shew its Species; and then, if this Culture be repeated, will recover its pristine Strength, and yield as great a Crop as ever; but, if that be longer omitted, will die: The Vastness of its Root avails nothing, unless it has Food in proportion to it.

Hence it appears, that the most fatal Disease incident to Luserne is starving, and that rarely suffers any of its Plants to arrive at the full Period of their Growth or Age; it prevents their Fertility even in the Prime of their Youth, and kills them before they have liv’d out Half, or perhaps the Tenth Part, of their Days. How long its Life might otherwise be, nobody knows, unless a Plant could be found to die when well fed; for when it is, ’tis so tenacious of Life, that, I am told, beheading will not dispatch it[199].

[199] But I have cut off the Heads of some myself to try, and could
not find that any one would sprout again, tho’ _St. Foin_ will;
perhaps I tried at the wrong Season.

’Tis therefore necessary, that our Rows be plac’d at such a Distance, as that their Intervals may be wide enough for the Hoe-plough to raise an artificial Pasture, sufficient to sustain the Number of Plants in them.

Whoever shall make Trials of this Husbandry (for that is all I propose to others), I would advise them to begin with Rows that have Intervals of Thirty-three Inches; for, if they begin with much narrower Distances, they may be by that means disappointed of Success: But tho’ they should afterwards find a Way to hoe them at somewhat nearer Distances; yet the Loss of a few Perches of Ground would not be much; neither can they be wholly lost, since the Roots of these Plants may be prov’d to extend much farther horizontally, than from Row to Row at that Distance. And the wider the Intervals are, the more Earth will be till’d in a Perch of Ground; because Six Rows, which will be therein at Thirty-three Inches Distance, will admit the Hoe-plough to till more Earth, than Nine Rows at Twenty-two Inches Distance from each other: And, besides, ’tis not proper, that every time of hoeing, the Plough should come very near to the Plants, unless when Grass comes amongst them; and then they may, in Thirty-three Inch Spaces, be perfectly cleansed in this manner: _viz._ Plow a good Furrow from each Side of every Row; and then with Harrows, or other Instruments proper for that Purpose, going cross them, you will pull out both Earth and Grass from betwixt the Plants; then, after a convenient Time, plow these Furrows back again to the Rows; this will in a manner transplant the upper Part of the Roots, and bury the Grass, tho’ it be not dead, by lying open to be dry’d by the Sun: Then harrow the Ground to break it more, and to level it, and go once over it with a very light Roller, to the End that the Hay may be raked up the cleaner.

I am aware of the common Prejudice, which is, that People, when they have never seen a Plantation of these Plants in Perfection, are apt to form to themselves the Idea of such small ones as they have been used to see; and thence imagine it impossible that this (tho’ a double) Number should be sufficient to make a Crop. But they might, with equal Reason, imagine the same of Apple-trees at a Year’s Growth, which are less than these at the same Age; and so plant a Thousand Trees in the Room proper for one. The Antients direct the Planting of Seventeen _Cytisus_ Plants in a Perch of Ground; and I do not believe, that ever those Seventeen could yield a Crop equal to Two hundred Twenty-four Luserne-plants; for as many Ounces of Hay as each of these yields, so many Ton of Hay will one Crop of an Acre produce: Thus by weighing the Product of one Plant (supposing them all equal) the Quantity of the Crop may be determin’d, and prov’d greater than Fancy from their Number represents.

_s._ _d._
_April_ 14. One single unho’d Plant of Luserne had
Thirty-one Stalks, which, by Silver-Money, weigh’d green 23 0
24. The same dried to Hay, weigh’d 6 6
14. The Stalks of one single ho’d Luserne-plant green,
weigh’d 56 0
24. The same dry’d 14 6
14. Eighteen Inches in Length of a Row, being five
indifferent Plants, weigh’d green one Pound and an half
_Avoirdupois_
24. Dry’d to Hay, it weigh’d 28 6
25. One Foot of an ho’d Row, being One hundred and Sixty
Stalks of two Luserne Plants of Six or Seven Years old,
weigh’d Two Pound green
But the same dry’d, to the 9th of _May_, weigh’d no more
than 31 6
Which last is about Three Tons to an Acre.

This I am certain of, that the least competent Number of Plants will bring the greatest Number of Crops: since I see the Stalks of a single ho’d Plant grow higher in Fifteen Days, than one amongst near Neighbours does in Thirty Days.

The greatest Difference between the Culture of this and St. Foin is, that Luserne Rows should be more grown, before the Plants be made single in them by the Hand-hoe, lest the Fly should destroy some afterwards, and then they might become too thin. For Luserne is sometimes eaten by the Fly, as Turneps are, tho’ St. Foin be never liable to that Misfortune, if sown in a proper Season. Luserne must also be more frequently ho’d[200], in some Proportion to the more frequent Crops it produces.

[200] The Hoe-plough is the Instrument to bring it to Perfection:
but then I doubt it must lie still some Years, lest the plow’d Earth
injure the Hay that is made upon it; and when it is come to a Turf,
and the Luserne wants renewing, the Four coulter’d Plough is the
only Instrument that can prepare the Turf to be kill’d, and cure the
Luserne; which Plough must be used in the following Manner: Turn its
Furrows toward one Row, and from the next; that is, plow round one
Row, and that will finish Two Intervals, and so on; and the next
Plowing must be towards those Rows, from whence they were turn’d the
first time; take care the first Furrows do not lie long enough on the
Rows to kill the Plants, which will be much longer in Winter than in
Summer. But you may leave every Third or Fourth Interval unhoed for
making the Hay on, which will be yet more beneficial, if the Swarths
in mowing should fall thereon. This unhoed Interval may be plowed
when there is Occasion, and another left in its stead.

I shall not go about to compute the Difference of Expence bestow’d in the _Roman_ Culture and in this; yet it will appear theirs was incomparably more chargeable, and that the Excess of Charge was occasioned by their Error in the Theory of Husbandry.

They sow’d it so thick, that the Plants must needs be very small; and when Ten of them were no bigger than one good single ho’d Plant would have been, in the same Space of the Earth’s Surface, they could have but a Ninth Part of the Earth’s Depth, which the one would have had. The Defect of Depth must be therefore made up, in some Measure, by the extraordinary Richness of the Surface. Upon this Account few Lands were capable of bearing _Medica_. Their sowing it so late made the first Waterings necessary; and the Shortness of the Roots required the repeated Rigations, after the Crops were cut: For _Columella_ saith in _Lib._ ii. _Cap._ 11. _Cum secueris autem, sæpius eam rigato._ But had it been cultivated by the hoeing Method, the Tap-roots would have descended as deep as a Well, and, from the Springs below, have sent up Water to the Plants, besides what the Hoe would have caused the horizontal Roots to receive from Dews at the Surface above. At how much a cheaper Rate Water is supply’d by these Means, than by carrying it perhaps a great Way, and then sprinkling it by Hand over the Beds, which were made Ten feet wide between Path and Path for that Purpose, let any one judge; as also what a laborious Task it was to pick out the Grass with Fingers from amongst it, in the hard dry Ground in the Summer, after mowing the Crop, as _Columella_ directs in his foremention’d Chapter, which the Horse-hoe would have done with Ease, at a Twentieth Part of that Expence. However, since they saw the _Medica_ was as impatient of Grass as the Vineyards were, ’tis a Wonder they did not give it the same Culture with the _Bidens_, which would have been much better and cheaper, than to cleanse the _Medica_ with Fingers. Indeed Fingers were made before the _Bidens_; but sure the Effect of its Use in raising Juices to the Vine, had inspired the _Romans_ with more judicious Speculations, than to give that for a Reason why they ho’d the _Medica_ with their Fingers, rather than with the _Bidens_.

Oh! But this was made with Iron, and _Medica_ had, in those Times, an Antipathy to Iron; and after it was sown, the Place must not be touch’d by that Metal; therefore the Seed must not be cover’d with a Plough, nor with Iron Harrows. But if they had made Trials enough, to know that half an Inch was a proper Depth to cover this Seed at, these _Virtuosi_ would have been convinc’d, that it had no less Antipathy to these Instruments, of what _Matter_ soever they were made, if they bury’d it Five or Six Inches deep, which the Plough must do, and the Weight of Iron Harrows in such fine Ground not much less. Had the Plough been all of Wood, the Furrow would have lain never the lighter upon the Seed; and if the wooden Harrows had been loaded with a Weight capable of pressing it down as deep, it would have been no more able to rise, than if it had been buried with Iron Harrows: This _Columella_ seems to be sensible of, when he says, _Rastellis ligneis_; _viz._ That it was not sufficient for them to be made of Wood, unless they were diminutive; for then they were light ones. ’Tis probable the Plough suffer’d none to come up, and the heavy Harrows very few, tho’ perhaps Plants enough, had they calculated what Number were sufficient: But unless the Ground were cover’d with them at first, it seems they had not Patience to wait till the Plants grew large enough, to fill it with a bare competent Number, and thought it not worth while to weed and water, what they fansied to be an insufficient Number. ’Twas expected that the Thickness of the Plants should help to kill the Grass: Yet upon due Observation ’tis found, that when their excessive Numbers have brought a Famine amongst them, they are forc’d to prey upon one another; and tho’ the stronger survive, yet even those are so weaken’d by Hunger, that they become the less able to contend with Grass, whose good Fortune it was, that Superstition would not permit the _Romans_ to interpose, by attacking it with Iron Weapons.

I hope these Hints may be improv’d for the Abolition of old Errors, and for the Discovery of new Truths; to the end that Luserne may be planted in a more reasonable Method than has been commonly practis’d: And when the Theory is true, ’tis impossible the Practice should be false, if rightly apply’d; but if it fail of Success, the Event will be a Proof either of a Misapplication, or that the Theory is false.

Luserne should be order’d for Hay in the same Manner as is directed for St. Foin in the foregoing Chapter: But it must be observ’d, that Luserne is more worsted by being suffer’d to survive its Virginity before cutting; and therefore the richest and most nourishing Hay is cut whilst the Stalks are single, without any collateral Branches shooting out of them; and when they are so, neither Blossoms nor even their Buds appear. But of that sown in the old Fashion, the last Crops, for want of a new Supply of Nourishment, grow so slowly, that ere it is high enough to be cut, the Blossoms are blown out, and the Stalks, tho’ very small, are become _woody, hard_, and _dry_, and make the Hay nothing near so nourishing as that of the first Crops.

But in that which is ho’d, the last Crops of it will, by virtue of the greater Quantity of Nourishment it receives, grow faster, and be of an Height fit to cut before blossoming, and thence being as young and vigorous, make as good Hay as the first Crops; so that Hoeing does not only procure more and larger Crops, but also better Hay.

This is most certain, that unless we can keep our Luserne pretty clean from natural Grass, we cannot expect it to succeed, let the Soil be never so proper.

CHAP. XIV.

_Of Change of_ SPECIES.

I. _That Plants of the most different Nature feed on the same Sort of
Food._

II. _That there is no Plant but what must rob any other Plant within
its Reach._

III. _That a Soil which is proper to one Sort of Vegetable once, is,
in Respect of the Sort of Food it gives, proper to it always._

If any one of these _Three Propositions_ be true, as I hope to prove all of them are, then it will follow, that there is no need to change the Species of _Vegetables_ from one Year to another, in respect to the different Food the same Soil is, tho’ falsely, supposed to yield[201].