Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-04-24
a VALUABLE FORAGE P1ANTs
A History Of Alfalfa and instructions
Regarding it's Culture and
Preparation as Hay

Preparation as Hay
Alfalfa, or lueern, medioago
sativa. is a native of western Asia !;
it was early introduced into south.
ern Europe, and later was taken to
South Ameria, whence it found its
way into Mexico and then to Cali
fornia and other Western States.
In the region south and west of the
Missouri river It found cungenial
conditions, and has proved of i'm.
mense value to farmers throughout
that country.
Alfalfa belongs to the same family
as clover, peas and beans - the
legume family. The young plant
at first has a single stem, but as this
is cut off OF grows old it brances and
forms a crown with many stems.
The plant has a strong tap root.
with small lateral roots as feeders.
This tap root goes deeply into the
soil, and finds moisture even when
far below the surface. On the roots
are found tubercles or small nodules.
similar to those found on red clover
roots, and by means of these tuber-
cles, which are induced by bacteria,
the plant is enabled to gather and
1se as plant food free nitrogen of
the air. so that in common with red
clover and other members of this
family it not only has the power of
storing up within itself large quan.
titles Of that valuable nitrogenous
material, proteine, but by the ac-
, cumulation Of roots it leaves the
the soil richer in this element than
, it was before producing the crop.
Professor Davenport, when speaking
of the members of this important
family, says: "They not only work
for nothing and board themselves,
but they pay for the privilege. p"
These plants are the only ones of
any agricultural Importance that
can use the atmospheric nitrogen,
and they can do it only with the
aid of certain bacteria.
The young alfalfa plant is rather
delicate and a week feeder; conse-
quently the seed bed must be care
fully prepared, with a good supply
of plant food readily available.
The ground should be ploughed
rather deeply and the surface
brought into fine condition, as in
the sowing of clover or other small
seeds. From ten to fifteen pounds
should be sown per acre, preferably
without q nurse crop, and as early
as possible in the spring without
danger of frost, which may kill the
3 young plants. AS soon as the first
blossoms appear, or whenever the
plant shows signs of losing thrift.
ness, it should be moved, as this
stimulates stronger growth. It car
usually be cut three times during
=, the season, and after it has become
! we'll established it will yield from
D three to five tons of cured hay IAN acre
Alfalfa seems TO do best on sandy
T loan soils that have a good supply
? of plant food and are we'll drained
r though it has been known to have
Q grown in a heavy clay soil 1t will
. do we'll on any soil that will producG
Q wheat or corn. The field designed
: for alfalfa should be selected with
a the view of leaving it for severa
years. The plant seems to reach it'
= prime in four years. and can as {
rule be left in a field proftably fol
q seven or eight years. No difficulty
IS experienced in getting alfalfa on
Of field if it is ploughed in mid
s summer and kept we'll cultivated.
/ Alfalfa for hay should be cut wheI
e one third of the blossoms have ap
, appeared, because at this stage i
e makes the best quality of forage
y It should be raked up into windrowr
4 when somewhat wilted, aud neve
allowed to dry out before being
raked, because then it does not cur
I, so we'll, and most of the leaves ar
broken of in handling. It shoul,
= be handled so as to preserve all tn
= leaves, since they are the most val
a uable part of the plant. In a dr..
: season it can some times be place,
|, in the barn or stacked the day afte
4 cutting, but it will usually be
: better plan TO allow the hay TO stanr
u in cocks a few days.
Alfalfa seede rather uncertainty
the second crop Is usually bette
than the first for seed production
For seed it should be cut when tn
seed pods turn dark. and should b
handled in the same way as Glove
N for seed. The yield is from two {
"a four bushels per acre.