with this farther advantage, that as it continues to grow p q a a l ' - y r j g p u r ^ i f § |
beginning thereof, it would admit of being paftured upon'm the fpnng, tdl the middle or evenl thei endof
K ffiould it be necelfary, without endangering the lofs of the crop of hay: which cannot poffib y be Joi,
S V y e -g r a fe , or any other plant ufually cultivated by the farmer, except clover ; whmh is equally t,n6lf
parly palfure or for hay. This plant would be the more valuable to the farmer that it grows to the g,«,,,
perle£?ion on fuch foils^s are altogether unfit for producing fain-fom; the only plant hitherto cultivated,!,,
■ ?eems to polfefs qualities approaching to thofe of this on e .- I t muft, however be acknowledged, g g |
■ difficulty of procuring feeds of this plant in abundance, muft be a very great bar to the general cult,,,*,
■ thereof’ for although°thefe ripen very well in our climate, yet the quantity that ,t produces is fo inconSfa
■ able aid the difficulty of getting the'm feparated from the pod is fo great, as to make it neceffary to g*,
• them by the hand; in which way the quantity obtained mutt be very toiling. To counterbalance this delta,1
.however it may be obferved, that it is not only an abiding plant, which never leaves the ground whtJ
. has been once eftablilhed; but that it alfo increafes fo faft by ns running roots that a very few plan«„(J
put into a field, would foon fprpad over the whole and dock it fufficiently. If a final! patch of gpodgnj
f‘ is fowed with the feeds of this plant in rows about a foot dlftant from one another, and the intervals be kJ
.. clear of weeds for that feafon, the roots will fpread fo much as to fill up the whole patch next year, J
the ftalks may be cut for green fodder or for hay. And if that patch were dug over WtlK fpnng following,!
and the roots taken out wuh the hand, it would furnilh a great quantity of plants which might be planted
» in filch fields as you meant to have filled with this, at the diftance of two or three feet a-part; which w j
nrobably there take root, and quickly overfpread the whole field. And as there might always be a fufEcJ
•< nuantitv of the roots left td fill again the patch from whence they were taken, it would be ready tofu,4
« afreffi fupply the next feafon, and might thus continue to ferve as a nurfery for ever afterwards. It app«
<■ to me that this would be the moll likely method of propagating this plant with eafe; but I have not as ,,
„ had fufficient experience thereof to be able either tQ tell precifely the expence of it, or to anfwer pofitiwl,
ff fpr the fucpefs thereof in alj cafps.”