Milford chronicle., 1902-03-07
When to Sow Alfalfa Seed.

In an address before the Kent
County Farmers Institute, Mr..
Wing, of Ohio, spoke on Alfalfa
clover as follows:
Great care should be taken in pre-
pairing the ground for sowing the seed.
1t should first be thoroughly drained
and the low places tiled, then heavily
MANFRED and a crop of corn taken off.
In the spring pillow deep. The ground
should be narrowed several shines to
kill the weeds. Late in July or early
in August drill in two bushels of Bar
ley to the acre and SOW fifteen pounds
of alfalfa. Sometimes when it gets to
the height of several inches the rust
appears. Cut it with mower and this
will disappear in the next growth. The
crop should be harvested four times a
year and should be cut when it first
shows bloom. We rake it up in cocks
and it is cured in this way. After re-
naming several days in the field, it is
then ready to house. 1t will last with
out any further sowing from four to
eight years, and some keep it longer.
In sowing the crop great care should
be taken to see that the ground is well
rolled, as this will prevent it from being
| killed should an unusual long period
of dry weather continue. While | am
a great believer in alfalfa, think GRIM
son clover and COW peas will thrive on
poor land that is not adapted to the
raising of my favorite crop. Mr.. Wing,
in closing his talk on the growing OF
alfalfa, said that lime was very benef-
cial in starting the plants to grow.
In reference to turning cattle into al
falfa fields to Craze, there is much dan.
ger to the stock. If you only have q
small field do not let your cattle grazt
there. 1t IS better to put the cattle OF
other grass first and after they have
had their fill, then turn them into the
alfalfa field, but once there do not le
them eat any other kind of green food
once saw 100000 cattle grazing OF
} alfalfa on a ranch in California.
Alfalfa is a most excellent food TO
horses and some of the finest l eve
saw were given this to eat almost eX
clusively with very little grain. Ores
5 sus, the king of the turf, was raised OF
} alfalfa, and wherever he goes a liberia
supply of this is taken along, and it i
his chief food.
If alfalfa is cut and put green in
silo, the last crop should be used. Tn
6 ensilage makes an excellent food 70
milk COWS Two pounds of grain is al
that is needed with the usual amour
2 of ensilage, and the COWS will not Onl
thrive, but give large quantities of ricl
f milk. Two pounds Of alfalfa hay wi
: take the place of eight pounds of grain
RAISING PIGS FOR A PROFIT.
Mr.. Wing also gave quite an inteI
esting talk on the raising of pigs. H
said a farmer could raise pigs on a
s falfa at very little expense. He kne'
r a neighbOT of his who in one year mad
So, 500 off of hogs. A brood SOW shout
: not be fed on grain. In Ohio there al
It no pig pens. Little houses, very niue
v resembling dog kennels, are distribute
i over the fields in which the hogs roam
There is one house for each SOW. Hell
Il undisturbed they have their pigs, an
$ as a result of leaving them as near {
!, possible in their wild state the Offspriu
- are strong and healthy. The yOuu
pigs are fed on middlings and ski
milk until green stuff comes and the
a they eat clover and alfalfa. When
s. little larger they get corn and this
"A used to fatten. As a result, at the as
of six months the pigs weigh 100 pOunt
lie and bring good prices in the city ma
lie kets. For the late pigs we raise lar
A. crops of pumpkins, and these are hault
:, out into the fields and the hogs allow,
to eat them at will. The sOws will e
d. the seeds and then the remainder of Il
pumpkin. This food is a great prove
~ tive of the cholera, and | have know
farmers whose stock have escaped t
a ravages of the disease while their neig
Id bors who did not use them, lost all the
ee hogs in a very short while. The pun
as kin seeds kill the worms in animi
- and keep their systems in good CONF
" tiOns.
Mr.. H. p. Hazel, who owns tW
ST. acre lot in the suburbs of town, viii
ct is nicely set in alfalfa, said in answ
3 10 inquiries that it was sOwed in 49,
u yenty pounds of seed to the acre bel
to used Last year he cut fifteen tons
to alfalfa.