The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-01
ALFALFA on upLANDs.
A Paper Read by DIR. Daniel Psrisc,
of Calvert

of calvert.
The following paper was read at the re-
cent session OF the Texas Farmers Con-
gress:
l have been requested to address you
on the subject OF Alfalfa on uplands,
and comply with the request the more
readily Tor the reason that really be-
lieye that l have something to say that
is well worth your time to listen to.
II has now been moro than twenty years
since. In passing the premises of a Ger
man who lived in the suburbs OF calvert
saw my hrst field OF alfalfa. 1t was
Just In bloom and the breeze that swayed
It's surface into a succession OF blue ant
emerald pillows was laden with perfume
The sight and scent of 1t stirred me a.
the presence the shamrock might an ex-
lied son OF Erin. or a sprig OF heather q
homesick Scot for l had spent my boy.
hood where the clover grows. aud | rec.
ognized In this patch of alfalfa the nea,
kinsman OF an old friend. | had otter
| thought OF the dull routine and monot-
onous grind of corn and cotton and cotton
and corn to which our farmers seemed
to be doomed without seeing any prac'
teal way OF relief but here new and
powerful ally appeared said, III this
German can raise an acre of alfalfa,
| can raise an acre or two acres or more, ~
other man who is willing to take tn,
trouble to do so and who knows how can
raise II also" My mind was made up Oh
The spot TO have a patch of alfalfa OF my
| own, and the following fall | sowed halt
an acre, and since that time ] have NO,
been without ii, 80 ! have an experience
of twenty years TO justify the statement
| made in the commencement that | real
| ly thought l had something to say tina,
| 1t was worth your while to listen to.
i feel that | am fortunate in my audi
ence today as well as in my subject, fui
your presence here today is evidence OF
the interest you take In the agricultural
products OF this great State, so II u iittinl
word can be spoken in the interest of &
very laudable and comparatively unknown
plant. II viii be like seed sown in goot
ground You remember ! Just stated thai
| thought that any one who was willing
to take the trouble and knew how, coult
raise alfalfa. | take 1t that my bushes,
Is to tell You how that is as my expert
encc has taught me, and incidentally, 4
possible. to make You willing, so | will
proceed at once to tell you what / know
on the subject What | shall say VII
not be what have read or what some on,
has told me, but is founded entirely OF
my own experience.
The land 1 have used In growing alfalfs
is what Is termed In this portion OF tn,
State SANDY post oak with a clay sub
soil at depth of one and half TO two
feet In The little field where | have hat
1t the longest there is a small piece 81
low, hard land. This spot always shows
the effect of drouth first and, in the alb
scnce of abundant rains produces less
hay. So | give my preference to sandy
land.
In regard to fertility Of soil, hav,
been in the habit OF answering thnt IN IN,
opinion any land that would produce forty
bushels of corn per acre could he profit
ably sown In alfalfa, or course, the great
or the fertility the better. As ordinar,
sandy post oak land can not be depended
on for forty bushels of corn per acre, I
is necessary to fertillze. This hav
done freely. using stable and all kind
| of lot manure always. and, In one In
stance. potash, In the form Of wood ashes
with excellent results.
The time for planting is clearly, to m,
mind, in the TALL, say as soon after thu
first of October as tho rainfall is sum
Client 10 insure the termination OF the
seed and the growth OF the plant. A.
this Is "A matter OF Importance, especially
to beginner. to whom failure is very
discouragIng ! will give my reasons for
fall planting,
Plants from seed sown in the fall get
a good start before cold weather and VIII
grow some during the winter while the
frost Will have killed all the weeds that
appeared, so by spring the alfalfa VIII
have possession of the ground. Some
weeds will appear In the spring but they
will be too late to affect the growth OF
our pet. and with favorable seasons the
alfalfa will be ready to cut before they
have matured seed. we get rid OF them
almost entirely the first cutting Seeo
sown IN the spring terminate ana come up
all right; so also do weed seeds, and on
land of the fertility required they make
such rapid Roadway that the little alfaiia,
which at first Is tender plant, stands nut
a poor show ! think one would be for
tunate by dilgent weed pulling and cut
ting to save a stand, to say nothing OF not
getting enough hay the first year to pay
for the work. II sometimes happens III
this section that October and November
both pass without sufficient rainfall TO
Justify the risk Of sowing. In that event
would SOW In December and take
chances. II freeze should occur WINE
the seed Is sprouting, II would be killed,
hut II IL gets up, we never nave any
weather here cold enough to XIII IL. J
have few acres that | sowed last De
cember, and although last winter was the
coolest ever known here and the ralniaiI
was very light | succeeded In getting q
very fair stand and cut my FIRST crop ABOUT
the middle OF May. III i had waited tlii
spring It is almost certain my entire crop
would have been chokcd out. aud IL ID
quite certain that ! would not nave Gu,
any crop TO amount TO anything; SO J
consider what hay ! get clear gain on
sprIng sowing. II my late sowing hau
been winter Killed | would have planted
the land In corn in the spring and nave
tried again this fali. ,a
Now, II ! had q piece OF land OF sum
eiept fertility that / wished TO put IN al
falfa, I would plant II in the spring I'D
some crop that 1 could get of by Septem
her for instance. we VIII say corn J
would gather the corn as early as u would
do TO do so, and then with some suitable
pillow. preferably disc, turn under every :
thing possible. ] would let the land ie
In this condition until the time arrived
for sowing. / would then harrow II. gain
erlng up such stalks and weeds as tne piow
failed 10 cover, until 1t was Just 80 Hhootn
and finely puiverlzed as ] could MAKE ~,
/ would then SOW seeds al tbe rale "
twenty pounds to the acre tmore tnah WIS
ia a waste of seed), harrow II well again
and then turn the balance OF ,he WIN
over 10 the forces OF nature with Just a.
much confidence that would get gooo
stand and harvest a good crop as would
M getting a good stand and crop OF corn
or cotton in case had planted either IN
nroner season. II would no doubt be
pood plan TO run roller over the land
Inc last thing, but ] have no rolier ana
have not used one and ] am only telling
what know from experience.
Do not make tho mistake OF supposine
| that careless or slipshod methods OF put
| ing In this crop will pay II requires the
hest OF work. and considering the fact that
| one sowing lasts for years. you can GER
.s..,I,, 4. s,ora IL Give A the hest of care.