Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-15

ago he drove flock of sheep across the
continent in part of two years. He
writes to the Rural Press as follows:
In May, we cut and sold the crop on
the 90 acres for $1,000, not weighed.
but estimated at Is tons loose hay,
hauling it about one mile afterwards;
moved it once and then pasturedit un-
til February so closely that the field
looked like dust bed andthe knowing
ones said we had killed it out; notwith-
standing all this, it came out this last
spring In such condition as to satisfy
any one that it cannot be grazed close
enough to injure it. We had a piece
of two acres that 1,500 sheep camped
on for three weeks until not a vestige
of the alfalfa could be seen, and that
came out this last spring as well as
any.
COVERING THE SEED.
was satisfied that rolling in the
seed. also brushing it In, on our land
would not do; since then hare narrowed
it in and find that weget better stand,
and it takes a third less seed.
If the ground is moist when the seed
is sown, or if there is a good rain soon
after sowing, brushing In would do.
Some prefer to SOW the alfalfa with
out grain. 1t does well either way. l
prefer to sow half sowing of barley
with the alfalfa, as it protects it from
the sun, and yields more the first cut
ting than if sown alone.
EFFECT OF IRRIGATION.
By irrigating before cutting, the al
falfa will not dry out nor wilt while the
crop is being removed.
/ think great many of the failures
attributed to frost are caused by the
seed being so near the surface that it
dries out before the root reaches mois-
ture.
ALFALFA FOR SHEEP.
l have had but little experience in
feeding alfalfa hay, having had pasture
enough without the hay.
We turn our lambs into the alfalfa
in August and September after wean-
ing, changing from one field to another
as fast as eaten out.
There is generally double the loss
among lambs after weaving until new
feed starts, than among all the balance
of the flOcks. By putting them into
alfalfa this loss is saved, and the lambs
make much larger sheep and have a
greater growth of wool than they would
have if kept In the usual manner.
Forty acres is very good sized field.
In hot weather sheep could Craze it
down every ten days to advantage.
The feed should not be allowed to
get over ten inches high before grazing
it-if higher it is tramped down and
the growth is retarded; the shorter it is
the better the sheep like 1t.
We kept 5000 lambs during the
months Of September and October, on
Us acres of alfalfa, also kept 1000 on
eight acres eight days and it was not
fed close. Since then we have grazed
on the Us acres ], 400 sheep and 90
horses.I
1t is estimated in the Eastern States,
where they feed nearly six months in
the year, that % tons of hay will keep
the sheep during the witer of six
months, or twenty tons when some grain
is. fed.
On that basis, $500 sheep can be
kept six months on the hay from 80
acres, by cutting three times, provided
it yielded two tons at cut
ting, and leave the grazing after the
18th of August until the 18th of Feb
ruary for 1900 sheep more.
Natural pasturage can be had In
most paris Of the State, SIX months in
the year, during the time Of cutting
the alfalfa hay.
In preparing land for alfalfa seed, it
is very essential that it should be in
the best of order, and when it has to
be irrigated, should be level. or nearly
so, thus saving much time and trouble
in irrigation.
After blowing and narrowing the
ground thoroughly, we use a leveler of
the following kind:
We take plank ten feet long, three
inches thick, one foot wide, and nail
screw a saw plate on the lower edge in
front to keep from wearing. Then bore
a hole near the center Of the plank, at
each end, TO pass a chain through to
hitch to. On the hack side. We have
two more holes, three feet apart, little
above the center, TO DRIVEN stakes four
feet long. On these stakes, near the
plank, we nail board for the driver to
sit on.
This leveler viii handle more dirt
than a half-dozen scrapers, and has the
advantage over the scraper Of turning
over and unlocking itself as soon as
the driver Jumps off of it
The stakes at the back keep this
pland in the right position, inclining
backward slightly.
The time is soon coming when every
stockman viii see the necessity of hav-
ing his field Of alfalfa for wintering
use.
Lucern or alfalfa will do as well as
any clover in Tennessee, and hold the
ground for pasture much better than
our common red clover, which is a BIZ
cnnial