The herald., 1897-04-09
Alfalfa N otes

| Alfalfa N oteS
Il. Edminston read an article on Al
falfa Culture before a farmers insti'
tute at Riverside recently, from wnlcf
we extract the following:
The amount of seed sown is not
matter of half so great Importance al
the manner of sowing and covering
| Nothing heavier than horserake Nght'
ly run over the ground should ever Dc
used. A brush, or q considerable buncn
of brush fastened together, answers the
| purpose we'll All that is wanted is to
imbed the seed somewhat with the iine
dirt on the very surface. 1t does not
matter if much of the seed f)pears IN
sight. Indeed if the sowing is followed
| by a heavy rain, or by flooding the
ground so as to insure moist surface
for four or five days. it is all right with
out any covering al all. Two years ago
7 sowed a block. and when about half
of it was lightly covered, heavy rain
drove us in. I never had finer stand,
| the uncovered part being just as good
as that which had been covered
Thus treated. 10 pounds OF seed 10 the
acre will grow a very thick stand, even
more than is needed. l once sowed IL
pounds per avre on one-haif of a l0-acre
| plot, and pounds per acre on the re-
naming half. After ii came up no one
could have told the difference--it was
all abundantly thick If you cover light
" and see that the ground is wet by
rain or by flooding. 10 pounds of seed
per acre is plenty. But If one insists on
covering with a heavy harrow or an or
chard cultivator, as grain is covered,
an investment in seed-will be required,
as q very small part of the seed so sown
will germinate.
After sowing the seed and seeing that
the ground is properly wet, nothing fur
ther will be required until the ground
needs irrigating. When the young al
falfa is six or eight inches high 1t
should be moved. This will check the
weeds and cause the alfalfa to branch
and grow with much greater vigor than
if left uncut. Through the first season
the ground should have good flooding
after each cutting, and oftener If need
ed. It will grow all the faster if flooded
once every three or four weeks. If sown
in the winter or early spring the first
season ought to make three or four tons
per acre, if properly cared for. How
ever, the first seasons crop will vary
greatly on different soils-much more
than in succeeding years.
1t is we'll to begin cutting quite early
in the spring. especially if one has
good deal to cut; but no definite date
can be given, as the seasons differ
greatly. II is mistake to wait for the
alfalfa to become large and show signs
of blossoming. BY cutting the early
growth at about the time the warm
spring days begin to come, though it
may make only a light crop, the new
growth will start with vigor, and at the
end of the month-when ready to cut
again-you will probably have ton per
acre more than If two cuttings had been
thrown into one, while the hay will be
of better quality.
Foxtail grass otter spoiIs first cutting
hay for horses, but if cut before the grass
head begins to harden it is harmless.
Throughout the season care should
he taken to cut promptly when the al
falfa has reached a proper growth for
making first-class hay. OF course there
are different opinions as to what the
proper growth is. l can only give M
own reason for ID viz: ii should be cut
before the stalk begins to harden, as il
does when the buds mature and tho
blossoms begin to open. If it stand.
longer the quality of the hay deterio-
rates much more than the additiona
growth can compensate for; neverthe-
less there are those who prefer it tC
stand longer, claiming that it makes be-
ter feed and possesses more sut.tance
This is true if woody substance is de
sired. but it is not true if nutriment i:
the object in view, if we may rely upor
tables and statements made in Farmers
Bulletin No. 81. U. S. department of ag.
ricultrue. On page Is it says:
"The percentage of nitrogenous com
pounds in the plant varies considera
bly,, the maximum being in the early
stages of its growth, and the minimum
about the time the seed commences t.
ripen. Hence hay cut early. especially
| before the plant begins to bloom, Is
more nutritious than that cut after i
| has begun to bloom.'
| Another point in favor of early cut
| ting is that COWS will then eat the stalk:
clean, while if allowed to stand till il
| bloom and the stalks become woody
they cannot be induced to eat them, a
| times wasting one-fourth.
In conclusion | will offer few sugges
| tions in regard to curing and putting VI
| hay. Never cut at one time more thar
can be raked and put in cocks in th'
| forenoon of the next day. il it is in TIL
hot and dry summer; or in the forenoon
of the first day after it is sufficient!
cured. Very early or late cuttings. whel
the only difficulty is to get it dry enough
to keep it may be handled in the after
noon without breaking the leaves -art
losing them. Through much of the sea
son alfalfa hay should never be s1uchel
in the afternoon, or after the Leaves
begin to break.