The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-07
GARDEN
AND HOUSEHOLD
BY S. A. COOK.

ing l ever undertook Four mules with
| a single disk could break only one
half acre a day. To my surprise and
disappointment. the ground, instead of
/ becoming mellow Ike that following
/ red clover, proved hard ana cloddy,
not a good as before seeding.
] Having said this much from my eX-
/ perience with one field Of alfalfa,
I VIII offer some suggestions respecting
/ the value Of slfalfa as crop. and the
+ time and manner Of sowing, harvest
inC etc.
As had no pasture at the time re-
ferred TO- ! kept four mules and one
+ horse throughout the year on hay cut
! from SlX acres. During stormy weather
IN winter fed eight or ten head of
cattle from the same. Except through
4 an unusually cold January. or during
spells Of snow or sleet the meadow
proved ample for the cattle.
had a donkey cart rugged up 50
that the children with an old donkey
could bring up a load Of fresh-cut al
falfa each day for the hogs. 1t WAS
almost equal 10 Corn-much better than
sorghum. Last spring l cut alfalfa in
April. and from that time until oats
came worked my mules feeding only
alfalfa and they stood the work about
as well az before. At present | have
alfalfa on rather light ground. We cut
81 4hE AAAAlEc A4it past StdSOAit Bul TIT
last crop was light, the other making
about TWO loads TO the acre at each
cutting. / am of the opinion that more
and better hay can be obtained by cut
ting as soon as the bloom show all
over the field. OF course there will be
times when the weather will not per-
nit cutting before bloom, but the hay
will not be as good and / don't think
the next crop will start as quickly as if
~ in A pril nd a
the hay cut before noon should be
raked just before shutdown of the same
day and hauled after 10 O'Clock the
next. But If the weather is cloudy
more time will be required In slow
curing weather it is a good plan to rake
in small windows and turn these over
with the rake as soon as the dew is
off. This turning may have to be re-
peated. Having had no experience with
stocking alfalfa l am not prepared to
say whether it, like clover, should be
dryer than for storing in a barn.
The August or September crop is
best for seeds, as the humble bees and
sand bees become sufficiently numer-
Gus by that time to assure the polini-
cation of every flower. l seldom see
a honey bee on alfalfa, but melilotus
is equal to white clover for bee pas
ture and for quality of honey. AS to
the best time for seeding, l would say
September. if the ground is in condi-
ton. October will do, but is somewhat
risky in this latitude, as the young
plants are quite tender and will stand
but little dry weather or frost AL
falfa will not do well where cotton dies
or on ground near white rock or where
overflows last over thirtY-six hours.
Some recommend sowing with oats in
February. Several of my neighbors
as well as myself have tried it with
failure every time. What the frost
failed to kill the oats smothered. If
spring sowing becomes necessary, sow
OH or about March Is in Northern Tex
as. so that the equinoctial rain that
usually comes about the goth will bring
1t all up together. The frosts that
may happen after this time will hard
ly be heavy enough to spoil the stand.
To be safe ii is best to use twenty
pounds of seed to the acre. But as the
weeds will not run with the alfalfa
1t Will be necessary to run the mower
over it in April and to rake and carry
the weeds off. A good crop of hay
will then be ready about June l. 1t
is best to turn the cattle off from the
meadow as soon as March Is, so as to
have it ready for moving the last of
April before the May rains set in. If
left until May a wretched time with
curing may be expected. The cutting
that comes late in August is usually
light. but if left to ripen makes the
best of seed. We have obtained the
best results from sowing the chaff
from this cutting. The seeds are sew
eral shades darker and richer in color
than those shipped from the North.
Although l have already written
more than 1 intended, l want to add
word of caution: Alfalfa pasture,
like clover, will give the cows the collie
If too much is allowed before they be-
come accustomed to it. When first put
on alfalfa COWS should be turned off
inside of half an hour; then the time
can be heightened from day to day I'M
til danger is passed.