Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-03-26
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
ALFALsA or LUosRNr.
Crop OF Great Value but Unknown
an some Localities.

refer hendefson contributes the follow.
ne:
In couutry so widespread and diyersl.
led IS the Uaited States, It ia NOT to be
wondered At that 3 crop that ia valued in
some localities 10 unknown In others.
Bat II 10 somewhat surprising that, In
many OF the southern states, where the
want Of forage is go much felt, that the
culture Of plant 20 admirably adapted
for thsir soil and climate has 40 long
bean neglected. In visit to Florida, In
febfuhry, 1888, was impressed. "A
every northern man must b., with the
utter dssrth OF forage plants, and, a. q
oonseqnenos, the hungry and meagre
starved looking cattle. To my INQUIRIES
ays55yhere the same reply was given,
thAz NO good grass or clover Gould be
fonnd to stand the heat and drouth Of
their long Summers. Fortunately, In
abiding TO the subject, while in the
company Of Mr.. K. Bronson Of Saint
Augustine, Fla, he promptly showed a
prsoticai solution Of the difficulty BY
taking me to patch Of alfalfa,
about IS feet by 100, or only
about the one-sixtsenth part Of
an acre. From that little patch Mr.. B.
assured me that he had fed q COW during
the summer months, getting As fine milk
and butter a. ever he got north and
further said that twice that area, or one.
eigh'h part Of an acre, would be ample to
supply COW with food during the entire
season. The land used by Mr.. Bronson
for his experiment with alfalfa was iden-
ncAl With the thousands OF acres In his
Immediate vicinity, which was given over
TO the blue palmetto and sorubby pines,
through which the goat.like cattle
browse out miserable existence. Mr..
Bronson, though only an amateur, is .
csrefol observer, and an enthusiastic
student In everything that relates to
agriculture. In the culture Of alfalfa for
Florida and other southern latitudes he
advises, that the crop be sown ea,ly In
she fail early enough 10 attain hight
OF four or five inches before growth Ia
arrested BY cold weather-in Florida say
nom 1st TO 18th Of October.
The soil best suited for the growth Of
alfalfa is that which is deep and sandy /;
hence the soil of Florida and many other
portions Of the cotton belt Ia eminently
fitted. The plant makes tap-root with
few laterals, and Its roots are often found
ats depth Of to feet, thus drawing
food from depths entirely beyond the
action OF drouth or heat. When alfalfa
Ia TO be grown on large scale, TO get Of
the best results the ground chosen should
be high and level, OK, mot high, such as
10 entirely free from under water. Drain
age must be - near perfect As possible,
eisher naturally or artihoially. This in
fact Ia primary necessity for every crop,
unless II be such as Ia aquatic or subA-
quatic.
Deep blowing, thorough narrowing and
levelipg with that valuable implement
the smoothing harrow" to get smooth
and level surface, are the next opera
lions. This should 10 done, In the south
srn states, from LIST to Goth OF October, or
at such season In the fall a. would be
soon enough 70 insure . growth OF 4 or 8
inches before the season Of growth stops.
Draw out hnss on the prepared land 20
inches apart III for horse culture, bat II
for hand culture ID inohes) and 2 or
Inches deep. These lines are best made
BY what market gardeners call q
marker" which Ia made by mailing six
tooth shaped pockets or inches long
81 the required distance apart TO 9 three
BY four inch joist, to which handle is
attached, which makes the marker or
drag. The frat tooth ia set against q
garden line drawn tight aoross the field,
the marker 10 dragged backwards by the
workman, each tooth marking line
thus the 6 teeth mark 6 lines, Ii
she line is set each time but Il
is best to place the end tooth OF the
marker in line already made, 90 that
in this way only Ave lines are marked at
once, but 1t Ia quicker TO do this than
move the line. The lines being marked
out, the seed Ia sown by hand or by
seed-drill, At the rate Of to IL pounds
per acre. After sowinR-and this rule
applies 70 all seeds, II sown by hand
the seed must be trodden in by walking
on the lines, so As to press the seed down
into the drills. After treading In, the
ground must be leveled by rAking with a
wooden or steel rake along the lines
lengthways, not across. That done, II
would be advantageous to use Q roller
over the land, 80 as to smooth the surface
and further firm the seed, but this ia not
indispensable. When seeds are drilled
In by machine the wheel presses down
the soil on the seed, 30 that treadiHR In
with the feet Ia not necessary. After the
seeds terminate 80 as TO show the rows,
which will be in from two to four weeks,
according to the weather, the ground
must be hoed between, and this is best
done by some light wheel-hoe, Il
by hand, such as the "U Universal" On
light sandy soil, such as In PlorIda, q
man could with ease run over two IA
thee acres per day. The labor entailed
In this method Of sowing alfalfa in drills
- somewhat greater than when sown
N ho al ~ 4
clover, bat there Ia no question that Il Ia
by far the best and most profitable plan,
for II must be remembered that the plant
is . hardy perennial, and IL good for I
crop for eight to ten years. Moreover,
the sowing In drills admits OF the crop
being easily fsrtilised, II It Is found
necessary to do so; as all that is neoes.
sAry is to SOW bone-dust, superphos
pilates, or other concentrated fsrtillzs,
between the rows, and then stir It into
the soil by the use Of the wbeel.hoe. n
the ground Of Mr.. Bronson OF Saint An.
Gussine, Fla, he found that the seed
soWn In the middle Of October gave him Z
crop At 70 cut In three months after SOW.
ing, and three heavy crops after, during
the same year; and have little doubt that
In that climate and soil, SO oongenial to ita
growth, that stx heavy green crops could
be cut annually, after the plant ia fairly
established, II moderate amount OF fer.
tiliEsr was used, say sec pounds Of super.
phosphate or bone-dust to the acre. Mr..
William Crozisr OF Northport, Long
Island, one Of the best known farmers
and stock breeders In the vicinity Of New
York, says that he has long considered
alfalfa one Of the best forage crops. He
uses IL always TO feed his mlloh COWS and
breeding ewes, particularly In preparing
them for exhibition at fairs, where he Il
known to be most successful competitor,
and always takes along sufficient alfalfa
hay to feed them on while there. Mr.,
CroSier's system Of culture Ia broadcast,
and he uses some Is or 16 pounds Of seed
70 the acre, but his land IL unusually
clean and In high state Of cultivation
which enables him to adopt the broadcast
plan but on the average land II will b.
found that the plan Of sowing in drills
would be the best.
Mr.. Crozier's crop the second yeai
averaged IL tons, green, 10 the acre, and
about tons when dried as hay. For hill
soil on-the latitude OF New York-hs
ends the best date Of sowing Is the nrst
neek in May, and = good cutting can b,
wad in September. The next season ,
hnll crop is obtained when II is cut, /
t-resn three or four times. II 10 be usst
for nay, IL is cut In the condition Of or
binary red clover, in blossom II thsr
makes after that two green crops II cut
sometimes the last one iuataAd NJ haiDs