The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-30
The Editor:

| coHctHlfattG ana valuable teedS Known.
| An experiment Iii the Kansas Experiment
| Station showed that 100 pounds of dry
! Alfalfa hay contained % 20 pounds sl-
| gcS1iDie nUtricnts: this j 11.3 pounds
| more Of di2c>tiblc matter than IS con
| tanned in 100 pounds Of red clover hay
| In addition to this, il contains 1la times
| aS much protein as the clover. thus rem
| dering II BY far, the more valua bic food
| Combined with corn it is an excellent
| ration for fattcning cattle, as it furnish
| es ali the ropghaGe necessary. and is also
| a cheap source for protein. Il also fuc-
! nishes a ration equally good for dairy or
! other purposes. where roughage forms
any considerable portion Of the food.
CLIMATF
| Alfalfa IS not adapted to a cold eli
| mate. The excessive cold Of last winter
| killed many fields Of Alfalfa, while red
| clover in the immediate vicinity pulled
, through it all right Virginia and the
States South. appear to suit it Well
SOIL AND PREPARATION.
y sandy soil With q clay subsoil from
| i 4 to , feet from the surface is good.
| especially for upland. Bottom is also
! good (by some considered best.) The land.
| unless it Is sandy, should be thoroughly
broken 20 the depth Of about a foot and
| put in the best possible condition. There
| should be at least one good rain TO settle
| the ground before seeding. and then the
surface only should be disturbed. Many
| failures We're doubtless attributable to
| planting the seed ON q loose bed. An
! excellent plan is TO mix the Alfalfa seed
| With bran. corn meal or pea meal III the
! proportion OF ! part of seed (by meas
uIe) to four parts Of bran or meal. as the
case may be. Then SOW one-half with q
/ drill, cross and SOW the other half. II
| not convenient to use q drill. the mix
turc nay be broadcast and narrowed
/ IN
! Alfalfa viii not thrive on Il wet soil.
! consequently il need be it should be thor
i oughly drained.
Alfalfa requires a fairly good. soil. Any
| land that will produce 20 bushels and
| upwards Of corn per acre can be relied
! On for Alfalfa. Is VIC have but few
| lands Of sufficient natural fertility 10 DO
| this ii viii, III most cases. he necessary
| to first Improve the land To dc this u
! heavy crop OF clover q. COW peas may De
/ grown and turned under at maturity. 10
/ not err by moving and removing said
!, crops. under the heiei that &c roots will
! answer all desired purposes the roots
contain cniy about l., Of the fertilizer
clements O. the plants. The entire plants
should therefore be turned under: they
VII largely increase the fertility OF the
soil. and 1T the same time. provide the
much needed humus.
The larger the amount Of green matter
turned under the greater will be the
beneficial results. Therefore, ii will in
most cases. pay well to literally fertil-
izc the clover or COW PEAS. as the case
may be. Ms these crops draw the nitro
gen needed from tne air ii would be d
waste OF money to apply nitrogen direct.
Tile following ingredients may be enl-
ploved per acre:
Acid i'h~phatr. 800 10 40 pounds.
ka'nij.. 400 to 600 pounds.
broadcast aud piow IN preferably a
few weeks before seeding the clover or
peas.
Tho vegetable matter, While rotting.
will produce the needed hunluS. Vita
a good supply Of hulnus the principal
difficulty in procuring stand Of Alfalfa
may be regarded as passed. Many fail
uIes to procure Il stand Of clover were
doubtless attributable TO 4 lack Of hulnals
III the soil.
TIME FOR SOWING ALFALFA.
From September 20th to October 10th
is IL good time. but if the rains are not
sufficient for putting the ground in good
December 1st. Sowing in the tall as
early rs circumstances will permit. is
far preferable to spring sowing, as the
weeds are apt to choke the spring sowll
alfalfa however. in Nebraska sown as
late as April 10th, it has done fairly well.
hut when sown late, the chances for sue
cess would doubtless he much enhanced
by q system Of previous clean culture,
such as would destroy the seeds Of all
grass and weeds.
4 better plan still would probably he
10 selyct land that has been lying idie
for Several years in which there are no
noxious seeds. When thus soWn without
previous preparation, hy growing and
turning a crop of clover or cow peas. the
above ingredients may be applied and
worked into the coil. the same as for
said crops The seed should be sUvn as
soon as the frost is out OF tho Ground.
\ test can thus be made without waiting
for fall sowing.
Twenty pounds of seed per acre IS
about the proper quantity, though afteen
pounds have done Well
tREEs AND AII2ALTA
Prof Hunter. Of tne Kansas -Agricul-
rural CGllCgs has stated that there IS
differences of G6 p, per cent in the fer
til:ty of seed in favor Of those where
bees had access % the bloom.
OATS AND ALFALFA
If people experience any difficulty in
procuring stand. | suggest that the
usual quantity of oats. say one bl1Shel
ner acre. be sown with the Alfalfa When
the oats are in dough, 4 few days be
fore they begin to t1un. they should be
inown as hay and removed but at this
stage. they appear TO exert an immense
influence in resisting the ordinary effects
OF drouib. Do not permit them to ripen.
Oats sonn as clover and treated as
above. have given excellent results. and