The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-13
AN EXPERIENCE
WITH ALFALFA
gest Results Obtained bv Sowing
With Bluegrass.
CUT THREE CROPS A YEAR
The Soil Should be Prepared as Thor
oushly as for Garden-Makes an
Excellent Pasture, Especially
for Hogs and Horses.

. At the request OF Secretary Ed. Co
burn of the Kansas Department of Asrl-
culture. Mr. II. D. watson, the gentleman
who raises $500 acres OF alfalfa IN the
Platte Valley, at Kearney, Buffalo county
south-central Nebraska, gives some Of his
more recent experiences with this plant.
printed in the March Quarterly report OF
the Kansas Board, entitled Forage ana
Folders. -
Mr. Watson writes in part as follows:
The field sowed to bluegrass and alfalfa
IN 1854 shows no signs Of decay inns
field has not been fortified since seeded,
nor disked, as some recommended. Inc
sod formed by the bluegrass soWn with
the alfalfa prevents much evaporation OF
the usual moisture and the bluegrass
adds much to the excellence and variety
of the pasturage and obviates all danger
of bloat, no animal (sheep or cow having
bloated when. pastured in this field. Ny ex-
perience, however, teaches me to advise
against pasturing sheep on alfalfa.
The most satisfactory animal TO pasture
on alfalfa is the hog To secure the best.
results and the largest profits, feed the hos,
while pastured, enough of the tiesh-form-
ing grains to produce rapid growth, and the
spring pig may be marketed in the fall al
from 200 to 800 pounds weight. II the hog
DE fed grain during the summer months
fatten him. Alfalfa hay should be fed to
the hog while fattening. He likes it, and
will leave his corn for the hay.
My field Of bluegrass and alfalfa IS cut
three times each year when not pastured.
the first and second cuttings for nay The
third cutting is saved for seed. The sec
ond cutting should be cut not later than
July 10th. I have never seen good seed
crop obtained from the first cutting. When
So ytf 10
hay is secured from the later cuttings.
There is very material difference IN the
tonnage yield from an equal area of valley
and till land, in favor of the valley land.
AT best but one crop of hay and one crop
of seed can be had from the hill land
year. The texture of the hill land is i'm
proved by the deep penetration of the al
faifa roots They subso1 the land, form
storage reservoir for water, and add much
nitrogen to the soil. I shall try blue
grass with alfalfa on the hills this year.
Wherever there is sufficient moisture to
terminate both, would advise sowing al
falfa and bluegrass together, as larger
yield and arbetter quality of hay are OBJ
tanned than from alfalfa alone. When
sown together, use fifteen pounds of al
falfa and five pounds OF bluegrass seed
to the acre: Of alfalfa alone, twenty
pounds to an acre is used, sowing ten
uniform stand.
THOROUGH PREPARATION.
Let me urge the great importance OF the
most thorough preparation of the soil for
seeding. The soil should be made as fine
as if for garden. All moisture should
be conserved and the land seeded the day
it Is prepared. In this vicinity experience
has proved that fall blowing gives the best
result; in other sections this may not be
true, and each farmer should adopt the plan
suited to his locality.
U no longer use nurse crop In seeding
alfalfa. When the weeds shade the ground
they are moved. and are left where they
fall. Where the land is very foul the weeds
are moved three times year, and no hay
is saved the first year; but on clean land
a fairly good crop OF hay has been taken
from the second cutting tho year of seed
ing.
Each succeeding year emphasizes the
necessity of SAVING the leaves OF this
plant. It is stated that eighty-tiye Per
cent. Of the digestibIe protein is in the
Leaves, Ehe younger the plant IS Hhs4