The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-08

age scarcely more than two inches
searched in vain for tubercles on the
roots When Prof. King saw the field ne
offered to send some earth from the
alfalfa field at the Experiment station.
i Wintered with but slight covering
Of snow, enduring, on two nights. a tenn
pcra+ure of As degrees below zero When
the earth arrived from Madison, | sowed
some OF It broadcast. some ! JroilcI in
straight lines across the field. and some
! laced in contact With the roots Of
selected plants IN about two weeks the
plants Gin spots adjacent to the places
Of inoculation} began 70 take on
healthy. dark green color and moro
vigorous growth. Digging about tho
plants I soon found tubercies. as I did
also en- nearly every plant where the
earth was placed against the roots.
Some of the plants had reached height
If IS to 70 inches il July, whom it was
Cut. B. fall the bacteria had evidently
saread over ali the lined portion. but
1ia not seem to spread much into the
unli1le6 part. which is again wintering
at height Of onlv two or four inches.
Our soil is evidently unfit for the profit
abIo growing of alfalfa, containing al
most no lime and too much iron. This
report is from one of tho poorest sec
tions of the Northwest. tho jack pine
lands and IN all the sandy pine bar
rens. Of tie South therc is no land SO
po0r But | quote this report as show
ing the Importance of soil infection
with bacteria and the Importance Of
lime TO the cron. The Importance Of
lime in the growing of alfalfa w2s
brought very forcibly to my attention
on a visit to the grass test farm for
Peter Henderson e. Co. on the Hackcn-
sack River in New jersey. There l saw
very luXuriant plat of alfalfa. I was
told that the plat started very feebly,
and that in hauling limo to another
Tart of the field, some iOstlcd from the
wagon on the corner of the alfalfa patch.
At once q renewed growth was seen on
that spot, and the plat was then lined,
and at once started into z rev growth.
Lining with freshly Stacked linz seems
to be one of tho essentials in the prepa-
ration of the soil in the east, for this
crop The plat on the Hackcnsack was
on a fertile piece of low land near the
river, we'll supplied with humus, and
the very place where lime would have
its best effect The great difficulty in
all the eastern and southern parts Of
the country has been, not the getting Of
ing of the crop through the first sum
mer. It's carly growth is feeble, and if
the rag and other weeds are allowed to
grow they VIII soon smother out every
vestigc of the alfalfa Even where the
land is clean and the crop seems to
start off we'll. it IS soon noticed that
the plants turn yellow and look sickly,
and if something is not done at once
will al p
yellow and dying has been such a com
mon occurrence ia all parts of the east
for the past forty years of my experience,
that | had years ago come to the con-
cIuSion that It was useless to try to
grow alfalfa successfully in the east and
south. Fortunately. hoE,ver | have lived
and learned from tic experience of
others It is one CT tire greatest facts
in regard to the great value -Of Farmers
Institutes that the Oldest and NEST OK
perienccd of US may often pick up ideas
at Institutes from the experience of
others which orcn up a new view of
things. This was the case with this
writer. EngaSe in travelling at the
Maryland Institutes, in company with
Mr. J. f. Wing of Ohio who has made
q great success there in the growing OF
alfalfa, | listened with great interest to
what he said in regard to this crop. MIR.
Wing ha' had tho same experience with
alfalfa turning yellow and dying ont the
first summer, and he had found out the
remedy. This is simply to NOV it as
soon as these symptoms show or before,
when the rag weeds threaten to over
top il. The moving OF the tops seemed
20 refresh the roots and tc put new life
into the growth 4 second and even a
third moving IS given. even though there
IS not growth enough to save for hay
Then the plants go into winter strong,
and become an assured success. Here
then is the whole secret OF getting a
stand Of alfalfa The proper soil. with
q suhsoil easily penetrated by the roots,
Lime II the rate of not less than 20
bushels Ter acre before seeding, and
moving two or three times the first
sumner. Whom soWn in the south in the
fal:. there will be growth enough the
next summer to make the cuttings into
hay. while if eown il the spring tho
mowings should be left as mulch
Then. IN all sections of the country there
are here and there spots where alfalfa
has been successful. and soil from such
lands scattered thinly over the newly
seeded field Will make the stand more
alfalfa IN the south n the fall IS The
fact that September ana October ar
usually, there. months Of intensely dry
weather Whom this is The case. the
sowing had better be deferred till Feb
ruary but the pIowing should be done in
the fall. for a we'll compacted soil is as
necessary az for the wheat crop. Never
SOW alfalfa With a grain crop. but always
alone. IL Kansas the majority Of good
growers WIN have been successful ad
visc - to 50 pounds Of seed ner acre.
This Il is stated would be eXtrayagant
if all the seed were good. \ pound OF
alfalfa seed contains about 100000 seeds
If 90 per cont. Of them grow 20 pounds
would give S. plants per SQUARE foot.
After IiDc-tenthS OF these have pcriShed
We would still have an ample stand As
low as eight or ten pounds OF good seed
have been used with success. Avoid old
alfalfa seed by dealing with seedsmen
who have an established reputation to
maintain. old seed will grow IL if it