Imperial press and farmer., 1901-11-23

will have chance to dry. The cocks must be small enough to allow the air to get to every part of the hay. If the weather is hot and dry, the alfalfa will soon be throughly cured, and there will be no danger of it's holding or heating. The curing process may be materially hastened if a tedder is used before the hay is raked, espe- cially if the growth is very rank one. The value of the hay will de- pend upon it's being well cured before the leaves have commenced to drop off, An alfalfa stack will not turn water as readily as red clover or tim othy. A hard, soaking rain will often decrease the value of the hay one half, so that at an average price of $10 per ton the loss will amount to $5 per ton in feeding value Where the land is under irrigation, the field should be flooded immediately after the first cutting and again after each subsequent cutting during the season, unless there have been rains.
 The number of cuttings will vary from two to three in New York or Pennsylvania, to seven or eight and sometimes more in California and the States bordering on the Gulf of Mexi- co. When grown on the most suitable soils, namely, those which are rich and we'll drained, and which abound in lime, potash, phosphoric acid and magnesium, and with the stimulus of heat and moisture, alfalfa yields, with ordinary good care and cultivation, from one to two tons of rich nutri- tious hay every four or six weeks. It however, deteriorates rapidly after the third year, unless taken care of But, as already shown, with proper care, the limit of profitable produc- tion need not be set at five or twenty or even fifty years. There is in the State of Sonora, in Mexico, field which is known to have been kept in alfalfa continuously over sixty years, and it is said to be in as good condi tion today as it ever was.
 Weeds
 Alfalfa is often run out by weeds after the third or fourth year. This can easily be prevented. There is no excuse for such a proceeding, other than shiftless farming. Alfalfa is very strong grower, and will hold it's own if given but half a chance. If given whole chance. there is no for age plant tia. will beat it. If there is poor stan. in places in the field, these should be reSeeded as soon as they are noticed. Every spring the field should be gone over with heavy harrow to loosen up the surface Of the ground and kill out the weeds. With this small amount of cultivation and an occasional dressing of composed stable manure or commercial fertl- izer, an alfalfa field may be cut con tinuously for many years.
 Cutting for Seeds.
 When alfalfa is grown for seed, the second crop is the one usually saved The yield from this is heavier, and, ripens more uniformly. The first crop does not often seed we'll, flowers are not present in sufficient numbers in May or early June, when the flowers first open. Cut for seed when the pods are dark brown Rake at once into heaps and allow it to cure there; then place in the stack, and thrash directly from the stack. Stacks of alfalfa, whether cut for hay or seed, will not turn rain. and there should be cap of some kind put over each stack. If the hay gets wet it will heat and mold. and there will be considerable loss. In Colorado, the first crop is considered l-,e best for seed, especially ii it has not been irri- gated The plants are smaller and coarser than later in the season, and more thickly set with flowers than the ranker midsummer growth.
 Considerable success has been had