The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-22
Alfalfa.

A Western journal says: In intro
ducing this crop in our agriculture
there are a few things that ought to
be considered by the farmers. In the
first place alfalfa is a crop which,
when seeded must remain for several
years at least before blowing up for
corn or other crops. 1t takes almost
two and sometimes three years to get
a stand. After once securing a stand,
with no unfavorable conditions of soil
and climate, the value of the crop will
increase from year to year. AS the
roots increase in length and size the
crown develops more buds, until a sin
gle root will support a large number
of stems. One plant hanging in my
office was pulled out of 3-year-old
field and has fifteen stems. Further
than this we have found it very diff
cult to plow up an alfalfa field, the
roots dulling the pillow so that it was
necessary to sharped the share fire.
quently. All things considered, then,
the farmer should carefully locate the
alfalfa field where it can remain per-
manently, or for many years at any
rate. 1t does not seem to fit in with
our corn rotation, where a short round
of corn with a leguminous crop is de-
sirable.
Alfalfa is a leguminous crop and it
is believed that it's growth adds to u
fertility of the soil, besides putting it
in good mechanical condition. The root
tubercles take the free nitrogen from
the atmosphere, adding this valuable
element of plant food to the soil where
other crops may use it. The roots
penetrating the subsoil break up the
hard clay soils, allowing the air to
circulate, making the insoluable plant
foot in the sub-surface and sub-soil
available for grain crops. At the same
time the growth of the plants is very
rapid, making it necessary to cut three
and even four times in single sea-
son. On several Illinois alfalfa fields
over years old four crops were har-
vested last year The crop should be
cut when about one-tenth of the plants
are in bloom. Prof. H. NJ. Cottrell
of Kansas. who has gone more deeply
into the subject than any other expert
menter, says that by allowing the crop
to ripen the plants will die and the
stand be injured so much that the field
will rapidly become Improbable. He
states that in fields which have become
patchy the disc run over the field in
the early spring. the discs set straight
so as not TO pillow up the ground, but
so as to split open the alfalfa crowns
will increase the number OF plants. and
consequently revive an otherwise dy-
ing crop. In a recent visit 10 an al
falfa field within two miles Of the
Illinois Experiment Station. Prof Cot
trell stated that cutting early w0s the
most important point connected with
the successful growing Of the crop.
II IL thought that sandy soils Bifh
erayelly sub-sOils in which the Wafef
level does not come nearer than eight
or ten feet Of the surface Is besl
adapted 10 this crop. The facts the
that no general rule, no definite dircr-
tlons can be- given whereby the farmer
can ten whether alfalfa VII be sue
oesnful on hie farm ~ not The only
way ~ fnd out o. - try its ln eKpef-
lmeuunR if is q good plan 90 try q Ou
q small scale, perhaps field of nh
~ - 3 success if can be- easily eXe
tended ~ failure there 1871 b.
con ssponalURiy small iosH. "a NJ ouig
falg ~ eoH tAe cfop "a Eeoq soil