Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-05-04


should not be sown in any class of land
where the water table will come within
three or four feet of the surface in the
spring, when the plant is in an active
stage of growth. Alfalfa, however,
will stand flooding in the winter, when
the plant is dormant.
eve prefer the common alfalfa
(medico satina) 20 other varieties and
find the Utah seed to be satisfactory.
In seeding down to alfalfa the land
should be thoroughly prepared 1t is
good plan in old land if practicable, to
put on fifteen or twenty loads of barn.
yard manure in the fall and plow 1t un'
der to a good depth. Let the land re.
main fallow during the winterj then, in
the spring, when in good condition,
work down very fine with the disc and
other implements, but do not plow the
land in the spring, for alfalfa wants
fine but solid seedbed. After working
the land down very fine, it is a good
plan to allow IL to remain fallow for
week or ten days, so as to permit the
surface weed seeds to germinate. Then
harrow thoroughly to destroy the small
weeds, after which sow about twenty
pounds of alfalfa seed, with 75 or 100
pounds Of land plaster an acre, and
cover over with light harrow. After
this all il will need for the first season
will be to keep stock off and run
mower over il occasionally to subdue
weeds.
alt is not good plan to sow alfalfa
with any other crop unless the soil is
rich and well suited to the growing Of
alfalfa. These so.called nurse crops
are often delusion and a snare. Some
of the soils in the valley are evidently
too acid for growing alfalfa, and some
contain too much iron salts. Hence,
where there is suspicion that either Of
these conditions prevail, il is wise to
experiment on a moderately small scale
before sowing a large acreage. The ex.
pertinent station, however, is expert.
menting with lime to determine the
minimum amount required to correct
this acidity.
"Alfalfa is durable crop and
should last FIVE or ten years, or even
longer, If treated properly. The princi
pal foes Of alfalfa are weeds, gophers
and heavy pasturing After the al
falfa is two or three years old IL will
stand moderate discing and any amount
of narrowing; hence weeds can be kept
in subjoction by using these imple.
ments in the spring and fall. When the
crowns Of the plants attain good
size a discing TO split them up seems 10
invigorate the plant and materially
increases the yield.
"The station has experimental with
all kinds Of devices for experimenting
the gopher, including traps, spring guns
and fumigations with poisonous gases,
hut strychnine proved the most success.
full. The method employed is to take a
piece Of carrot or potato as large as a
small walnut, slit il and put few
crystals Of the poison in it and drop it
into an open hole or in their runways,
and that is usually the last Of the go.
pher.
"Grcen alfalfa is excellent for dairy
cows, II supplies practically a bal
anced ration. The hay is excellent for
all classes OF stock except the horse.
Hogs win winter fairly well on nicely
cured alfalfa hay.
"Alfalfa is deep-rooting plant;
hence il feeds ON the lower stratas Of
soil which other forage plants fail TO
reach. II is also a great improver of
the soil, both physically and in nitro.
gen contents.
perhaps it would be well to state
that ordinarily, where alfalfa is sown
in the valley, il is wise either to treat
the seed with cutting of the proper
before sowing or inocu.
late the ground with empregnated soil, |
putting on from 100 to 200 pounds an
acre at the time of seeding"
Mans Unreasonableness
Is often as great as woman's. But
4 a