The Teton peak-chronicle., 1905-03-30
Growing Alfalfa Without Irrigation.

returns under irrigation, oftenyield-
ING six and seven tons per acre in
one season, it has been quite
thoroughly demonstrated that it
is the largest yielding and best
paving hay plant that can be
grown OH dry upland in eastern
Washington and Oregon. On such
land it does not reach it's highest
development until about the third
wear, as it requires some time for
the root system to develop suffi
GENTLY to take up the required
moisture for the plant. Therefore,
little must be expected the first
wear and only light returns the
second. Preparation of the Soil !:
The ground selected should be as
free as possible from weeds, as
these are the great enemy of the
Young alfalfa plant. Land plowed
deep early in the spring and
thoroughly cultivated during the
summer makes the best seed bed
for alfalfa. With land prepared
in this way and with early fall
rains. early fall seeding would
probably give very satisfactory
results. At the present time. how
ever, we have very little data re-
garding fall seeding If the land
selected for the alfalfa field grew
crop the previous year, plow it
deep in the fall or early winter
as soon as it is wet enough. Let
it lie in this rough state until in
good working condition in the
early spring, when it should be
thoroughly pulverized and packed
by narrowing, discing, rolling,
etc, according to circumstances.
As soon as danger of killing frosts
is over, cultivate again to kill any
weeds that may have appeared and
to break up the crust that may
have formed on the surface of
the ground. Then SOW the seed.
incubation: If it is thought that
the alfalfa bacteria is not already
in the soil, material for inoculat-
ing the seed may be obtained from
DR.. Geo. r. Moore. Bureau of
Plant Industry, Washington, D.
c., by simply writingl him, stating
the amount of seed to be sown and
approximately the date of seeding.
1t is necessary to give Mr.. Moore
little time to enable him to send
the inoculating material i'll due
season. incubation may also be
made by hauling surface soil from
an old alfalfa field and scattering
from 300 to 500 pounds per acre
on the surface of the new field Just
before seeding.
Sowing the Seed If fsown broad
cast II to Is pounds should be
Sown per acre. Cover lightly by
narrowing. If drilled 10 pounds
Of seed per acre will be sufficient.
| know of some who use only Is
pounds of seed per acre when sown
broadcast and they claim it ample
on dry upland. The common grain
drill with grass-seeder attachment
may be used in sowing alfalfa seed.
Take the spouts of the seeder off
and put them on again so that they
point backward instead of forward.
Then loosen the rubber tubes
from the main drill, pull them for-
ward and attach to the spouts of the
Seeder by wire or otherwise, $50 that
the seed will drop in the holes or
beside the discs of the drill and
De covered in the usual way. In
the dryer localities where the soil
hight or no danger of crusts form
Ing on the surface, the seed can be
covered as deep as two inches. In
moist localities, however, the seed
mould be covered lightly.
Treatment the First Year: If
weeds are troublesome, the fields
mould be mown with sufficient
nequency to keep them from
fmothering the alfalfa. Now low
Fnough to keep the weeds down