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.