The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-23
Letters to the Editor.
ALFALFA PRACTICALLY,
Methods of Planting, Time of Say.
 ing, Etc,

1AB, GCCs
 Editor The Advertiser:
 Much discussion of alfalfa may lead to a proper understanding of methods of planting, time of sowing, kind of soil adapted to alfalfa and. if necessary to pense and in the most effectual way.
 Alfalfa prefers a rich lime soil that IS not subject to overhows. On such land pr. Mccain, of Livingston, Ala, sowed alfalfa seed without Ejaculation on rich black lime land last October and in four Tor tubercies. showing that there were suflcient germs on the seed to start a good growth of them in rich, alkaline, lime iime soil pr that that kind of soil con not necessary in that soil. This was not small plot butta field of ten acres. Acid or. sour soils may require hmesaten to neavy Fertilization at least to get a start The question of how long alfalfa will i've on acid soils, even with heavy ap- .izersi, is not defiflitely,,known.g hut it is quite certaIn, that 1t Is not a paying crop SF St , as.d sol iI 8 require large quantities phe application to acid soil of ten to twenty barrels of air-slacked lime per acre may keep the land alkaline for sev- erai years, the time varying with the character and condition of the Soils, and the teaching or washing of the soil.
 IT lnoculation Is deemed necessary take about leO pounds of dirt. from an old in put il, in a box, pulverize it with a hoe, wet the twenty or thirty pounds of al- talfa seed with water and thoroughly dirt and seed by hand or in a seeder over should be plowed deeply, narrowed, rolled and narrowed until thoroughly pulver- ized. Now SOW seed and dirt mixture and brush over lightly or narrow over lightly
 sowing should be done in fan if rains are sufficient, not later than October and better in September. The plants must get sufficiently large before heavy frost so that hoar frost will not lift the young plants plan out of the ground. Fall sowing EoSd oS se saat rsg Se S Yns and hs S PSn wu ter so that they will outgrow and choke out the weeds the next spring; also fall sowing with favorable rains and cuttings of alfalfa the next year. When september and October are dry the sow ing should be. done in early March ust or 20th) and during the spring and sum mer cut the weeds and alfalfa with now CT as often as the weeds get high enough to cut or appear to he outgrowing the aI- falfa; if there be little alfalfa, leave the weeds and all on the ground to act as a mulch. After .he first cutting if the al- falfa Is pretty large '.nd always after the second cutting, disc the alfalfa fieid with discs set perfectly straight. Imme- diately after cutting old fields of alfalfa always run over them with the disc har- row.
 I noticed that some parties were pas turing alfalfa in Sumter County. l think that is mist Ie 1t will kill it in dry weather and pack the ground too much. Better cut 1t and cure the hay and disc the ground.
 Dr. Mccain is testlag the growth of alfalfa on rich lime land where Johnson grass has partially taken the field; the outcome of this will be most interesting to all Johnson grass farmers. I believe It will be success on rich lime lands.
 A EtF1er faNHa a.Nl fall sown alfalfa that yielded at the first cutting about May lst, 1.5O0 pounds per acre of good alfalfa hay: that field will cuttings before Irost Mr. Burden. T Dr. Mccain, W. G. Little, Cobb and McMil- Ian. McMillan-an of Livingston, Ala, about eighty acres. MT. Henagen of Epes has ten acres, MT. Smith Thornton of Falksland, Ala, Greene County has about 200 acres. MT. Rudolph of Lowndes ty acres of alfalfa.
 Every lime land man in Alabama can have alfalfa. On bald, thin lime lands use mellilotus instead of alfalfa; it will grow better there than alfalfa, stand pas turing better than alfalfa and will pro- duce the first year fairly good hay (bet- ter than Johnson grass or Timothy), if cut at the proper time;
 Let me suggest that the Johnson grass farmers try hairy vetch by sowing it in September in among the grass without to two pecks per acre; this will do best on lime land. you can try it with or with out inoculation. If you inoculate get you 100 pounds of soil from an old vetcn patch or from the garden where English peas have grown. l believe 1t will do well on rich lime land in Johnson grass without inoculation. It will grow all fall and winter and can be cut in May, giving a much better hay than Johnson grass alone. If you cut it little late 1t will reseed the ground for the following year.
 c. A. Cary.
 Auburn, Ala.