Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-01-29
BY JOHN HAHNENKRATT.

D1 JOhN dAdNENh6AII.
consider alfalfa the best bearing
plant that can be raised In Western
Kansas, for the following reasons:
First, It will produce more and
better feed than any other plant, es-
pecially in dry seasons-dry weather
and hot winds having very little effect
on it especially when sown upon bot
tom land; having myself raised two
well-seeded crops and one fair hay
crop the last year. when it was so dry
that corn planted and listed, as well
as potatoes, were an entire failure up
on the same kind of land. It IS very
nutritious and Is preferred to any 9TH
er forage by horses and cattle, as well
as hogs, they eating it readily in win
ter when cured as hay or when fresh
cut.
Second, It is also a profitable crop
to raise for seed; a sample of my sec
ond crop of last year shown to man
who has been raising alfalfa for a
number of years in Colorado thought
it would yield 800 pounds per acre
and the first crop was equally we'll
seeded. The retail price of seed is
81 to Sc per bushel.
Mode of cultivation. First have
the ground under good cultivation,
plow deep fall blowing preferred)
thoroughly harrow and pulverize the
ground, then put in the seed one to
two inches deep with press drill. It
can be sown broad cast. In my opin-
ion Is to 20 pounds of good, clean
seed per acre is enough in Western
Kansas, but it grows much better if
not too thick as its nature is to haYe a
large woody root that extends very
deep into the ground, which enables
it to make a vigorous growth, even in
the dryest season, when not too thick.
After the third or fourth year it will
grow as high as forty stems from a
single root. After it is sown all that
Is necessary is to NOW it at least twice
the first year to keep the weeds down;
and the same the second season, with
a good stand it will keep down all
weeds. After the second year on
good ground alfalfa will yield three
crops of an average of from three to
five tons per acre of hay that is worth,
in my judgment, at least one-half
more than prairie hay. Should be
cut for hay as soon as the first seed is
fairly formed; and should not be al
lowed to get very dry as the leaves
rattle off very easily. It will cost
from 81 to $16O per acre for seed but
after it gets thoroughly set it will
stand from ten to fifteen years. If
at any time 1t should fail to make a
vigorous growth it can be renewed by
coating it with we'll rotted manure
and then cutting the ground with a
disc harrow, after which harrow down
smooth with an ordinary drag.
I wish it understood that I have
not written this for the purpose of adj
vertising seed as I have no seed for
sale, but with view of beneftine
the farmer of Western Kansas, having
become thoroughly convinced the
past year that it is far more profitable
than any other crop raised in the
western part of Kansas. Every farm.
er in the west should SOW from one tc
twenty acres of the best bottom land
he has to alfalfa, and if he has no bot
tom land he should SOW it on the best
table or level upland. It is the last
grass to kill down in the fall and the
first to grow in the spring, which
makes it very valuable for early anG
late pasture. It will grow crop o.
hay ready to cut by the LIST to the 10tE
of June; the I'd crop will be ready t.
cut in eight or ten weeks after the
first crop has been taken off, then i
hay is plenty the last crop can be pas
tured, as it will be good feed until
hard freezing weather; or, if prefer
red, it can be cut again for hay. i
irrigated and properly handled it car
be cut four times In one season.
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