The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-29
Some Points About Alfalfa.

Wisconsin Correspondence Country Cen
tleman.
Judging from oft-repeated statements,
the difficulty of growing clover is increas-
ing in New York State in the same ratio
as in the middle West. The reasons for
these failures are many. but they all seem
to narrow down to two, viz, exhaustion
of soil nutrients necessary to the plants
growth, and the action of open winters
with no snow to cover and protect the
young clover plants Whichever condition
is the true one, the Western farmer has
been disappointed so many times by a
total failure of seeding, and winter-killing
of the plant that he is now turning lis
attention towards the plant that seems
able TO stand extreme cold in winter and
drought in summer, and in spite of these
two drawbacks produce a large amount of
hay equal in feeding value to bran, ton
for ton-and that is alfalfa.
Many have tried alfalfa in the past ten
years and a large percentage of them
have made a failure and lost money in the
attempt; for alfalfa is a plant that
qulres certain conditions, and will have
them If ii is expected to return the heavy
yields that are possible. Alfalfa in the
northern States is not a plant that will
grow on all soils and under all conditions,
and If a farmer in the Northern States is
TO grow II, he must study IL from north
ern standpoint. 1t will not grow on poor
land. wet land or land with an impervious
hardpan two three feet below the
face, nor on land where the underground
water is few feet from the surface. The
water line should be fifteen or twenty feet
below the surface, for the alfalfa roots
will go down that depth in two years and
in time will attain nearly twice that
length. Alfalfa is heavy feeder and must
not be sown on land where the upper foot
its available plant food 1t will do no bet
ter in such soil than corn or any other
strong growing plant. The plant will stand
drought after it is once rooted. but il will
not live if water can stand and form an
ice-cap over its crown, for more than very
few days in spring; good drainage is
sential
The land should be prepared properly,
and that means more than scratching the
surface and narrowing in the seed. Either
plow the land twice or use a disc harrow
thoroughly in place of the pillow, and then
use the harrow extravagantly-you can't
harrow too much in the preparation of
fine seed bed. Lime is an excellent dress
ing for alfalfa; thirty bushels of lime to
the acre before sowing is excellent be-
ginning. The question of a nurse crop is in
a somewhat unsettled condition. In the al
falfa country they do not use 1t, but they
also have fewer species of weeds TO COM
bat than the Eastern farmer In Wiscon-
sin excellent results have been obtained by
sowing with oats or barley if the nurse
crop is cut as soon as ii is well headed out
When there is liability of a dry season,
this cutting of the nurse crop before il
attains its maximum growth is an abso-
lutte necessity, otherwise the nurse crop
takes the water from the young and tender
alfalfa plant, and the result is a strong
nurse and dead alfalfa crop. Alfalfa needs
all the growth it can get the first year. so
that ii may enter the winter in good shape.
and when the nurse crop is cut and cooked
up do not allow il TO remain more than
two days one spot, or otherwise the
young alfalfa plant will be smothered.
Whatever may be the custom of pastur-
ing alfalfa in the more Western States. in
this part of the country II can be easily
destroyed by allowing cattle to eat down
to cover the crowns of the plants a win
ter without snow and no mulch over the
plant is too great a strain for the young
plant, and there is but little doubt that
fall pasturing in the Northern States is
responsible for many failures in growing
alfalfa
Until it is we'll established alfalfa is
somewhat tender plant. and consequently
must be handled accordingly. 1t cannot
land; ii will not grow along the roadside
like sweet clover ii will not grow on any
piece of exhausted land. ana must be kept
free from weeds the first year and invading
grass in future years. Select as rich piece
of ground as possible and keep 1T rich
Alfalfa will get its own nitrogen from the
air. but the lime, potash and phOsphoTic
acid must either be in the soil a new
supply be given the plant otherwise there
pounds of seed to the acre; too little seed
will only result in a few large, woody
plants If every farmer in New York State
had few acres of alfalfa, the price of
bran would be different and there would be
more profit in milk production.