Amador ledger., 1900-08-03
THE IRRIGATION OF ALFALFA
The Best Results Prom 1r-
rigation,
Alfalfa dies II kept CONSTANTLY IN Water
The Famous Turkestan Alfalfa Will
Withstand Very Severe Win
ter Weather
ALFALFA DIES II kept CONSTANTLY IN WATER

Eniloiio oc d A4uy SIOp 10 ellS tIllc
Of a bulletin prepared by Prof, B. c.
Buffum, the Agriculturist OF the Wy
oming Experiment Station, and his
treatment of the subject is of more
than passing interest to farmers of the
great arid region, where no other plant
Is held in such high esteem by those
who have had the largest experience in
irrigation farming.
although alfalfa is extremely har-
dy," says Professor Buffum, "and will
live through long periond of drouth it
will not produce hay unless irrigated.
1t is of vital Importance to apply water
at the right time and conduct the irri-
CATION in the right way, Flooding as
the native meadows are flooded for
long periods of time is much more
quickly fatal to alfalfa than it is to our
best native grasses.
WET FEET DANGEROUS.
1T will not do to turn the water.on
and look at it once a week to see that it
is still running. Alfalfa soon dies If its
feet are kept wet, and it needs long
breathing spells and warm growing
weather. Where the irrigating water
is cold it produces chilling effect, and
the irrigation should be done quickly
and the water turned off as soon as the
ground has become thoroughly wet.
The best time to irrigate alfalfa is i'm
mediately after the hay has been re-
moved. Some irrigate just before the
hay is cut, but our observations indi-
cate that much better results are OBJ
tanned by irrigating after cutting. If
the weather is very dry. light irriga-
tions may be needed between the cut
tings. We believe in irrgating in the
fall, some time after the last cutting
has been made, to keep the soil from
becoming too dry during the winter.
It should not be done SO late, however,
that the ground is apt to freeze hard
while very wet, as this seems to be the
principal CAUSE of winter killing.
MODERATE WATERING.
TOO much water is fatal either in
summer or winter, On the Wyoming
Experiment Farm one season we irri-
gated one-half of field of alfalfa as late
as October, leaving the other half
without water. The part irrigated
started earlier the next spring and up
to the time Of the first cutting the d.
viding line between that which had not
been irrigated and that which was
watered late in the fall was distinctly
visible. as the hay grew two or three
inches higher on the fall irrigated por-
tion.
DUTY OF WATER ON ALFALFA.
by duty Of water We mean the
amount which is used on the land, AL
faifa ia perennial plant which occupies
the land all ths time. Its growing sea-
son is long and that it requires pro-
portionally large amount of water
would be expected"
Here Professor Buffum presents a
table showing the amounts of water
used on fourteen different crops of al.
falfa. The table shows he con-
tinues, that we have not used very
large amounts OF water in the produc-
tios of alfalfa. Our measurements oi
water used on native hay shows that
only about one-half the yater was used
on alfalfa as on the native hay" An
average of these fourteen measure.
ments made at Laramie as set forth in
the above mentioned table shows the
depth of water applied TO alfalfa to
have been 2.22 feet. An average of six
measurements made by the Station on
oats. wheat and barley shows 2.74 acre
feet applied to each acre of those crops.
The only class of plants upon which
less water has been used by the Station
than on alfalfa has been root crops.
FAMOUS TURKESTAN ALFALFA.
The first seed OF this alfalfa was i'm.
nd o7~tsd and sent out by the Department
of Agriculture Ia 1895. Little attention
was given it until the sel. "s@tn'r %
winter before last put its hardness -.
the test. On all parts of the farm-plots
at the Wyoming Station the ordinary
alfalfa showed more or less winter kill
ing, but not single plant of the Turke-
stan variety had been hurt. Similar
reports were received by the Depart
ment OF Agriculture from many other
sections. Not only does it seem har-
der, but it has generally produced
heavier yields than the common alfalfa.
On the Wyoming Experiment Station
farm. averaging the results for the last
two seasons, when cut for hay and
cured alike, the Turkestan variety
clearly showed superior cropping quail
itics, producing over three-fourths of a
ton more hay per acre.
Secretary Wilson, of the Department
of Agriculture, is greatly pleased at the
discovery of this variety of alfalfa and
its apparent hardness and heavy
yielding qualities, and his department
is preparing to introduce it generally
IN small lots throughout the West.
/ armers who desire to make trial of
it should mail request to the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture at Washington for
some seed. GUY E. MITCHELL.
On Every Bottle