Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1902-08-07
Growing Alfalfa in M ontsra

|. d. O'Donnell, OF Billings, one OF tn
- most successful growers OF alfalfa
Montana, read the following paper q
the meeting OF the Pacific Notthwes
n Woolgrowers' Association which will b
:. OF interest to alfalfa growers in Oregon
81 The paper follows
8 After some eighteen years Of expert
l. ence IN the handling Of alfalfa, | hsv'
9 even some OF these are OF recent develop
r ment and will be subject 10 change afteI
few more seasons Of work, or in the de-
velopment OF new machinery.
To begin with, it is very important
that you should put your field ia the
best OF condition, as, when alfalfa is once
well seeded. IT is there for lifetime, our
Oldest fields now being in eighteen years.
Grade off all back furrows and ill In sll
dead furro"s. II you irrigate it will pay
you to make your lateral bitches before
seeding, and save great deal OF labor
in the future in cleaning your bitches.
But ii your field is on hill side, or land
that is likely to wash, then seed fret,
and make your bitches afterward. We
prefer seeding with the drill, as IN case
ef dry season you are sure of a good
stand. We prefer early seeding, and
without nurse crop as in that way, We
get fair hay crop the first year, which
is worth as much as an ordinary grain
crop.
Now the first time about ten or twelve
inches high, that is the new seeding
this will cause it to stool out and it will |
grow good second crop, and sometimes
third crop the first year. We find il bet
ter to irrigste after the first and second
cuttings, and not to irrigate after the
third cutting, as it has a tendency to
winter kill il too wet in the fall
If irrigated before cutting. 1t will de.sy
the curing OF the crop considerably. On
the other hand, it will start your next
crop quicker and increase your total hay
crop. We cut the first crop " hen about
one-tourth or less, in bloom the second
crop about three fourths in bloom, and
if season permits. let third crop 60 to full
bloom. Ne also aim TO cut our whole
crop in the period OF FIVE or SIX DAYS, 30
as to cut 1t while a. its best II first crop
if left over to full bloom the leaves will
fall off and the stems get woody before
it can be cured.
ClrTING THE CROP AND STACKING IT.
We let it lie in the swath from twenty.
four to forty eight hours, according TO
weather; then rake into windrows and
bunch as soon as possible. Hand bunch.
ing is m much the best, but a great many
bunch with horse rake Leave il in
the bunch until well cured, as il will not
stand stacking if damp twill not hurt
the hav much ifthe bunch is dew. bleach.
ed on top. II the ground is damp, or it {
should rain on the bunches We turn
'hem over with the horse rake, an hour 1
or so ahead OF the stacker ,
We use the buck rake and stack er, but
others handle i, equally as cheap with
low wagons and derrick forks for unload ,
ing We stack in the 6elds and make
stacks about eighteen tons to the stack.
This makes a good stack to hsul from in !
the winter, As teams can get TO all sides !
reducing the cost OF loading fully one
half. Three men with the buck rske and !
stacker, will put up two Of thess stacks |
n one dav. and five men three OIL them.
By stacking in the ne'd there = iess dam
yer OF fire. and we find our men will haul
ne same amount from the field ius day
rs from stacks nesr feeding yards. while Ii
n summer il costs from tveniyfve TO n
hirty cents extra TO msse the haul. 1t il
'osts us about si.o0 per ton 10 cut and 4
stack, and in favorable seasons. some s
ess. Ii