Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-03-27
FOOD MERIT Of ALFALFA
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS TO
STOCK AND OAiRYMEN FROM
AN EXPERT.

" VSSU- Important VOOO 6tSUeUS~
Needed for Dairy cows-sugses-
tions From Head Of Iowa Depart.
ment.
State Dairy Commissioner Wright,
Of Iowa, is sending out several circu-
lars to dairymen and farmers on sub
jects of Importance to them. One of
these circulars is on Growing Alfalfa
in Iowa. Mr.. Wright is strongly in
favor of more extensive growth of
alfalfa, and says if its value was more
generally appreciated more persist
ent effort would be made to discover
just how to proceed in growing it.
He says further: Not only does
successfully grown alfalfa produce
three more tons of hay to the acre, but
it has feeding value almost exactly
equal to that of bran. 1t furnishes
the protein which is not found in suf.
ficient amount in any of the commonly
grown grains or folders from which
a balance ration can be put together.
If Iowa farmers can grow alfalfa they
will no longer need to buy bran and
oil meal to feed with corn tc their
cows, and neither will the steer feeder
find 1t necessary to buy cotton seed
meal to balance his ration for his
steers. The extraordinary value of
alfalfa will warrant considerable ex-
pense in experimenting on few acres.
1T is useless to try alfalfa on soil
that is wet or that has hard pan
sub-soil. 1t requires soil sufficiently
porous SO that its roots may go down
from ten to fifteen feet. Mature
alfalfa is one of the most vigorous
plants, but young alfalfa is one of the
weakest plants grown. 1t grows
slowly, is a weak feeder, and is
easily checked by weeds or other un.
favorable conditions of soil or weather
Hence, the soil should be free from
weeds. in the best possible tilth rich
in plant food and not too loose on the
surface or the seed will lack moisture
for termination and growth. Alfalfa
should be seeded at the rate of
twenty or more pounds per acre and
should have the full use of the land
the first year, and should be moved
but not removed from the ground as
soon as the blossoms begin to appear.
If soil is at all sour. lime may be
added with profit.
Some experiments in Illinois seem
to indicate a probability that inocu-
lation of the soil will be vauable aid
in growing alfalfa. BY putting in
the soil some of the soil brought from
old alfalfa fields of western Iowa or
Nebraska, it is believed that the bac.
terra necessary for the successful
growth of alfalfa will be furnished
and will quickly multiply and insure
the best results from the alfalfa. The
dairymen of the state will find the
question OF the proper ration COM
pletely solved as soon as they can
raise sufficient alfalfa hay for their
COWS. as alfalfa hay and corn make a
balance ration for cows. Under pres
ent conditions, even if the farmer has
good clover hay, he must buy oil meal
or bran or some other feed that will
supply the lack of protein in corn and
corn fodder and the other farm grains
and rough feeds
In another circular Mr.. Wright
urges all producers of milk to provide
some green feed to supply his COWS
late in the summer to make up for
short pasturage. He advises planting
a few acres Of some variety OF corn.
planted thick and fed to COWS late in
July or August. Sorghum planted at
the rate of 100 pounds to the acre ia
also favored.