Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1888-03-15
ALFALFA.
Alfalfa in Colorado.

Alfalfa In Colorado.
The following is the result of the
trials of alfalfa On the college farm at
Fort Collins, Col, by Prot. A. Z.
Blount:
The experiments made with alfalfa
on the state agricultural farm at Fort
Collins for the past seven years have
been necessarily limited; however,
enough have been made to enable us to
give any desired information about it,
at least so far as our soil and climate
are concerned.
Wehave raised iton low land with
and without water, on high land above
water, under bitches with and without
water artificially applied, and it has
been treated in various ways to test its
capabilities as to it's quality and guam
tity. its feeding value and its endur-
ance.
1t has been sown in all seasons, in
well prepared soil, on sod. with and
without grain. to ascertain the best
time. manner and depth of sowing it..
Soaoing.-1t succeeds in making as
good stand when sown in the fall as
in the spring, IN July as in March,
provided moisture is sufficient to ger
inmate the seed quickly and keep the
plant growing until rooted In this
section the seed is sown in the spring
some with oats and some alone; in the
spring because the soil is naturally
moist and water handy to be applied
after termination.
In seeding land to alfalfa two things
are absolutely necessary, viz: Sowing
at the proper time 40 avoid it being
killed by the frost. and sowing when
there is moisture enough in the soil to
germinate the seed and keep it grow
ing until well rooted.
The young plant is very tender and
can not endure killing frost, hence
early sowings are sometimes lost.
After germinaion it requires water fire.
quently and quickly applied to push the
roots into the soil and plants into a
vigorous growth. After this there is lit
tie danger of a failure.
The common grain drill is the best
implement with which to SOW the seed.
Twenty pounds good seed per acre will
make the stand thick enough for hay.
For seed, ten to fifteen pounds will
make better seed and more of it than
thicker seeding. This is accounted for
from the fact that the seed grows, not
like clover-on top of the plant-but
on all its branches from the ground up,
hence when thickly sown all the seed
below the top is smothered and fails to
fill.
C,,tting.-For horses the first crop
should be cut when in full bloom and
lower leaves are yellow. For cattle the
second and third crop should be cut
when coming into bloom. as they make
hay more tender and succulent. The
first crop is generally cut and saved for
seed. To harvest it without loss re-
quires great care, because in the handl-
ing the seeds shell so easily, especially
when dead-ripe and dry.
For this section and for stock alfalfa
is the best forage plant in exlstance
For horses on the farm, for cattle, for
mich cows, sheep and hogs, nothing,
as yet, has excelled it. 1t is the most
productive. the cheapest, and the best
known or tried. Like clover, it some.
time produces the bloat. Some cattle
and sheep bloat on it whed fed green
wet, and in the pasture, while others
are in no way seriously affected by it
in any form. Why it affects some and
not others is not yet clearly demon.
strated. When fed with other hay and
fodder it is safe enough in being fed to
any stock
In stall-feeding steers last year the
comparative value of alfalfa and clover
hay was brought out. -Four steers were
fed one month on all the clover hay
they would eat, and the next month on
alternating so for five months
The steers consumed each from 1873 tc
22l pounds more clover hay per month
than alfalfa, and in no case was the
per cent of gain less in the alfalfa
months, but considerable more. The
alfalfa hay made a pound gain TO,
every 1913 pounds fed-the clover hay
one pound for every 14.l4 pounds fed
As a fertilizer.-lt is itself ons of the
best for itself. l know of no farmers
who have ever fertilized it nor do they
consider it necessary, but useless, moi
that manure would not benefit it, but
it grows so luxuriantly and makes such
excellent hay it is really good enough
without fetilizers artiticially applied
besides by the manuring 1t is liable tt
become more succulent and ranker il
growth, therefore more dangerou.
feed than, when grown independent ol
outside stimulants.
Alfalfa and the Dairy.
s. Pelton, in Dakota Farmer and Stockman.
| weighed my butter weekly Will,
| feeding alfalfa hay and also while feed