The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-12-01
Feeding Alfalfa.

]. T. c., OF charlottesville, Va,
writes: will you kindly give me in
structions as 10 method OF preparing
land for alfalfa, time to SOW seed, how
to fertilize, etc. My land is we'll drained
creek land which has been cropped
with corn. wheat and grass in rotation
for a number of years"
Answer: With the rotation practiced
on your farm. your land should contain
a fair amount of nitrogen. and fair
amount of vegetable matter, and II II
has been in hoed crop the past year,
should be comparatively free of weeds
and grass, an important consideration
where alfalfa is to be seeded.
Alfalfa is 8 comparatively delicate
plant during the first year OF IT'S
growth. and il is often reported to nave
failed in q community, when 1t mas
simply been choked out with weeds.
1t is thus important to have the land
clean before using alfalfa. Summer
following constitutes an excellent
method of preparing land for alfalfa.
1t is important that you seed the al
falfa as soon as possible; in fact. II
would have been better If it could have
been seeded before the first Of Sep
tember. 1t is comparatively little
trouble to seed it in the fall. 1t -
advisable to use about twenty pounds
of we'll selected seed. and it is impor-
tant that You test the seed to ascertain
if it will gcrminate, before sowing 1t.
A fine seed bed should be prepared
by plowing and narrowing. and II the
sub-Soil is tenacious, il will often he
advisable to sub-Soil, because the al
falra plant has tap root which strikes
down deeply into the soil. The ability
of alfalfa to remain on the land for i
number of years is due TO the wonder
full development of its root system.
and hence every effort should be made
to prepare tie soil so 2S to encourage
root growth.
Alfalfa is legume and has the
power Of the other lcgumeS of extract
ing nitrogen from the air through the
bacteria which live in certain noduleS
which develop Oh its roots. As a rule.
these r0duieS are not present III the
soil. and therefore artificial inocuia-
ton becomes necessary in order TO en-
sure their rapid growth and develop
ment. Unless the bacteria are pres
ent. the nodul"S will not form, ard
= n Inprn
NAV he in the soil until it is exhausted,
and then dw!nlle ava: AID die.
incubation may be accomplished in
several ways. Perhaps the most prac-
tical is to secure Il hundred pounds
OF we'll inoculated soil from 4 field
where alfalfa has grown for several
wears. First mix this with the seed,
and supply broadcast or with dElil.
4 Thomson barrel Sceder is good
implement to use, and the alfalfa may
then he covered with wceder. Al
falfa seeded this fall can then be top
dressed TO advantage with farmyard
manure in the spring, or moderate
application of nitrate of soda may be
used, if farmyard manure is not avail
able.
The advantage of seeding alfalfa in
the fall arises from the fact that 1t
can be cut for hay the next summer.
whereas. if needed in the spring. it has
TO contend with weeds and crab grass
throughout the first season OF It's
growth, and should only be clipped and
not cut for hay. The clipping is to
destroy weed growth and stimulate
root development.-Prof. Soule.