Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-03-26
Facts Concerning Alfalfa
ro,n Ooleman's Rural ytOr1o.E

Bv referring to Fl,nt's tlsapss and Toes
are Plants, we iind that '1Hces1e t"lfsIfa)
"a cultivated in Chilli, and grows Wild IN
the utmost luxuriance = ~ ps0pas Of
Buenos Ayrs. where itis eAAed aliaha
which Is simply the ct@moa locerne'
slightly modified BY climate. and may be
regarded q variety. The co.mon red
clover a bhnnlal. 10 Shorter hved ano
therefore more suitable for The system o.
.hsrt rotations. Alfalfa y pesrenisl-
,haf IL. Il lives or continues more than
two year,. A case Is mentioned whcre
the q "a sown In 1S34. stu maintains
vigorous bod on the soil, AID grows with
r,mar kabls luxuriance. Nj. Robert Glib.
son. the we'll known farmer and herds
man st New York Mills. has had an ex-
tensive experience with tho cultivate"
and feediae OF lncerne, and may justly
be called the veteran In ito introduction
and successful iillage In Amertca. The
large stock at New York Mile II fed IN
SUI INNER on this grass, and their condition
is proverbially excellent. Ar. Gibson
says the great point 10 TO get the crop
started. TO do this suceessfully, It 4
best to plow the ground deeply IN me
tall slter some hoed crop. and then again
10 the spring, so Is to thoroughly pulver.
ixe It Md al it Tor the reception Of small
seeds. The seed should be put in ss early
- possible In the spring to got the start
Ut the hot sun-thst IL, that the young
plants msy have growth enough to shade
the rOolets."
The crop IL - abundant - that Of the
red clover, and maintains : vigorous
growth later In the season. While slfslis
lis equally as hardy - the red clover, 1t Il
better adapted to . permeable srbsoil,
consisting Of losm or sandy ground. than
Tor thin soils undellsid with close, I'm.
peryious sui . Dill. which prevents the WA
ter running oh.
The surest method would be to SOW the
seed In drills twelve inches apart, to allow
the rows TO be titled with culnvstor OF
horse hoe, and the weeds and other grass
cs removed. OF they will choke out the
alfalfa. Where the soil is perfectly clean
Il il unnccessary to drill In the seed u
sown very early in the spring. Where II
Is we'll put 10 upon good lands IN Missou-
RI, it will yield three large crops OF hay
annually, or several crops u ied green.
Il ia said to be much better for horses
than the red clover. Il should not te cut
lower than four inches from the ground.
The yield in the Southern States Is mu u
greater than most Of the other forage
plants.
Il should not be pasturcd closely the
6rst year, and never when the soil is wet
and muddy. 1t Is important tfat inc
plants become well established before i
il pastured to any considerable extent.
It can be cut nearly naonth earlier than
rcd clover. The ground designed for al
tslfa should be made IS clean - possible.
II perfectly clean. drilling csn be dis
penscd with. otherwise it could be the
best plan. The drills should be twelve
inches apart. This would admit OF cui'i-
vation 50 that the weeds can Be destroyed.
Ten pounds Of seed to the acre will b.
sufficient. The seed Of the alfalfa, when
fresh and good, is yellow. glossy aod
heavy. II the seeds are willie, It Is an
indication that they are not ripe. Alfalfa
seed being somewhat larger than clover
seed--and the plant tillers 'css-it is ne
., sssry to sow larger amount Of seed t.
the acre. See that the seed IL perfectly
eli an.
l,s long tap roots render It compara,
lively insensible to drouth and It is there
fore particularly well adapted to tie
south. where It yielas enormous crops.
Farmers would do ". II TO SOW at least 81
acre or more near their barns. where i
would be convenient to cut Is green food
for both horses ard cattle. As there II
an unusual inquiry tor alfalfa seed. oil de-
string to secure some should order Il
without delay.