The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-08-09
|FARMERAND PLANTER.
ALFALFA IN THE SOUTH.
Great Revival In the Interest N
the Plant By Reason Of It's Success
In the Semi-Arid Regions.

been writing for the past thirty o
more years to the southern farmers
know that have insisted continual,
on the prime Importance to the soutl
OF the various plants known as lie
gumes as furnishing hay of bette
quality than any of the true grasses
and at the same time aiding the farm
er in the development of the produc
tive capacity of his soil for othel
crops. My advocacy of the southern
field or COW pea is well known al
over the land, and its culture is rap
idly extending, but the COW pea is
simply adapted, and well adapted tc
the production of forage and the i'm
provement of the soil in brief rota,
ton, and for this purpose there lis
no plant that can take it's place over
the greater part of the south, though
the velvet bean may become of great.
er value down on the gulf coast and
in Florida. But owing to the long
season it requires, the velvet bean
will never suplant the COW pea over
the greater part of the south, but
there are places where a permanent
meadow Of legume hay will be Of
value, and plant that will fill the
bill is desirable.
For nearly fifty years we have
seen experiments made in the eastern
middle states and the upper south
with alfalfa or lucerne. From my
earliest recollection up to within the
past few years there have been nine
failures to one success in the grow
ing of alfalfa in the east. Hence,
years ago, had given up the effort,
and have been advising our farmers
MOTTO waste time and money in the
Effort to grow alfalfa. But of late
years there has been great revival
OF interest in the plant, and the won
derful success that has caused the
eastern farmers to wish to expert
ment with the crop, but the expert
ence OF the past and it's disappoint-
ments made me slow to take the al
falfa, fever. But the facts of success
In the east are becoming too plain
to be neglected, and we have been
finally convinced that the lack of sue
cess in the years gone by was due
to a failure on our part to UNDER
stand and supply the needs of the
crop. When these are attended to
success is about as certain on prop
er soil in the east as in the west, and
we will no longer be obliged to give
up this great forage crop to the west
under the impression that it will not
succeed in the east.
The south should be the special
home of the alfalfa, for soils and eli
mate are both generally favorable.
The first thing necessary to observe
in order to be successful with alfalfa
is the character of the land on which
it is proposed TO grow the crop. 1t
is useless to attempt to grow alfalfa
on low, wet soil, but on what are
known as Second bottoms" in the
south the plant should thrive i'm
Its needs as to the me-
chanicaI nature of the soil are a
mellow soil with subsoil easily PEN
Grated by its roots, and no perma-
1ent water in the coil nearer than
eight feet from the surface. Clay soil,
with hard pan right below the pillow
1epth, is poor place for alfalfa. On
The sand hills of the south, alfalfa
should flourish if the proper plant
'ood is supplied to it for the mechan-
cal composition of such lands it Just |
suited to its needs, and once well es-
ablished, its roots will strike down |
n the sandy subsoil far beyond the
each of droughts. Having a soil me-
adopted to its needs, the
irst thing is to secure a good stand.
The seed can be sown either in |
pring or fall, but so far as the south
5 concerned, at least south of vir-
,inia, we believe that fall sowing will |
,e the best.
As q preparation for the crop |
would now sow the land in cow peas,
nd give them liberal application of
cid phosphates and muriate of pot
sh mixed in proportions of one part
4 the latter to six parts of the form
r. Use 400 pounds per acre, and it
viii pay in, the production of fine
ay crop from the peas, and will
cave the land in the best possible
lean condition for the alfalfa to get
start. Sow the peas early in June,
nd make them into hay as soon as
Tell podded. Then pillow the stubble
nd repeat the fertilizer application,
nd about the last of August SOW
be alfalfa at rate of 20 pounds Of
eed per acre with moderate sow
q of winter oats. The alfalfa will
o without the oats, however, and
ne oats, if sown, should be used
5 soon as heads appear, as hay. This
ill also clip the alfalfa, and that
ill promote its growth.
Then, after the oats are out in the
pring, and the weeds, such as rag
eed, begin to start, run the mower
yer again and let the cutting lie on
le ground. Later on watch the al
llfa, and If you see any signs of its
lrning yellow, run the mover over a
lird time. This win greatly strength
1 the roots and make its success
,rtain- 1t will then go through the
'cond winter finely. The next spring
We the alfalfa a top dressing of
'out fifteen bushels of freshly wa
r-slaked lime per acre, and your
rage is there for generations If you
We it subsequent care. You must
member, however, that the alfalfa
ant, in common with all legumes,
gross feeder on the mineral ele-