Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-02-29

| luis year tncro IS an UNUSUAL inquiry
about alfalfa by Barber county farmers
J. p Hall, register of deeds, has had a
successful experience with the crop and
to him the INDEX applied for informa-
ton this week. He stated that his ex-
perience was that the best time to SOW il
was about May LIST; that twenty pounds
to the acre was not too much while
fifteen pounds was too little. he be-
lieves it should be sown separate from
any other grain, and If weeds appear,
they should be moved with a machine.
Alfalfa will grow on any soil, but Sec
ond bottom is preferable, he thinks, and
then the soil should not be too sandy OF
too wet. The ground should be in as
good condition as possible. But to 60
further into details, Mr.. Hall handed
us an article by citizen of Utah in the
Farm and Garden, and suggested that
1t be re-pubIished. We gladly accord it
space below:
''Lucerne will grow on any land that
Will produce wheat, corn or potatoes
and will thrive on many lands that none
OF these will grow OH; especially very
light sand or gravel. though it does well
on clay. But il will not grow on any
land where the water stands within one
foot of the surface. and there is no use
in sowing it in an alkali that is strong
enough 10 keep wheat from growing.
Though particular about wet land, 1t
will stand any amount of wet in the
summer as long as there is plenty of
drainage. 1t will also stand all of the
water in The winter that may fall in the
shape of rain. or snow that may melt.
1t is very quick grower and will ma
ture the first crop in about two months
| from the time that growth commences.
The second crop will mature in about
six weeks from cutting, and the third
| in about five weeks from cutting of the
second. The second crop is the heav-
| lest, but the first is little the best
feed, as it grows little longer than the
others. 1t will yield about on an aver
age of six tons per acre, and | have
known it to produce double that
amount. 1t is perennial of the clover
tribe, but Will outyleld it two to one.
makes just as good feed, and has great
advantage over the clover, for it never
falls down but stands up straight.
SOwING.-The best method is to SOW
broadcast about 10 pounds per acre
where the land is in good condition,
but ON very weedy land or clear gravel
or sand that is very poor put about three
pounds more. You cannot get any crop
from it the first year, but don't get dis
cOuraged if the plants are on an average
of ten inches apart, little slim single
stems about four or six inches high.
Your prospect is good that you Will get
tour tons per acre next year, and the
mill lo xxrin
and stand that way for ten years. 1t is
best to SOW with grain. Oats are the
best; thus you will lose no time, but
can have crop from your land every
year. In fact it does better TO have it
shaded when young Sow at the same
time you do spring grain.
CULTIvATION.-Whe there is plen-
ty of rain there is no cultivation needed,
for it would be unwise to manure it, as
it thriyeS fully as well on washed sand
as it will on the best garden spot, but
in few years it will make clear sand a
rich land, owing to the decay of the
root. The roots will sink themselves
for distance of ten to twenty feet
straight down. They are about one
and half inches in diameter, and fully
one-half of that root decays every year
from the outside and keeps growing
should be cut when in full bloom. A
little old is better than too young; when
the bloom is ready to fall off Is not too
late. Do not cut too much at once, for
if you allow rain to come on your hay
after il is cut it will not be worth more
than ene-half for feed, and will be en-
tirelY worthless for market. Heavy
dewS are not good either. Rake into
winrows if cut with moving machine,
and let dry until it begins to let the
leaves fall when handled roughly, then
pick 1t up and lay it in piles, just one
fork full in pile, to cure. Do not roll
it together or it will not load easily, then
you will have TO pull il to pieces, thus
losing one-half of the leaves. by follow
ing my directions you can put each on
perfectly clean at one fork full and not
waste time nor any of the leaves. But
right here let me warn you against con-
demning it as worthless lot of sticks
until You try your horses and cows and
see them clean up the sticks before they
do the leaves. There are not many
animals that take to it when dry with
out having it in their manger few days
with other hay, bat in few days you
will see the grass hay left, while the
lueerne is cleaned up. A ton of lucerne
will not go quite SO far as a ton of tim
othY. Do not let hungry cattle get on
it while green. especially while wet, for
it will bloat them, which is apt to re-
suit in death; but if you wish to pasture
1t. first feed your stock all they can or
will eat, and then turn them on the
green lucerne, and no harm will come
to them. 1t is the best thing to renew
old worn-out land that ever saw, and
there is not weed or anything else in
this country that can stand before it.
About seventy pounds of seed make a
bushel."