The Breckenridge news., 1905-10-11
ALFALFA.GROWING IN KENTUCKY.
BY JOSEPH E. WING, Mechanicsburg, Ohio

] tOlup pltlt SdluldIlOu VI water ucSlIOys
the life If the bacteria and of the
| alfalfa itself.
If posthole dug three feet in the
/ field where it is desired to SOW alfalfa
shows water standing in 1t for more
than a few days in the year, that soil
needs undertaking before being sown
TO alfalfa
In general, the depth TO the water
level should be about forty feet If
there Is a greater depth it Is generally
the better
Now we will consider the matter Of
fertility Alfalfa feeds deep in the soil
after it gets established and it secures
a part of It's nitrogen through the aid
of the bacteria from the air
Nevertheless it is gross feeder
upon phosphorus and potash and can
not secure these from the AIT. Nor
will it at first secure all its needed
nitrogen from the air,
Therefore land destined TO bs sown
to alfalfa should be rich when sown.
II it is not rich it should be made
rich before seed is consigned to 1t.
Fortunately, much Kentucky soil,
notably that in the bluegrass region,
Is already In phosphorus. This fact
should lead to parts of Kentucky
becoming as noted for its alfalfa as
tor its bluegrass.
Next comes the need of humus.. in
the soil. Now "humus' is simply
decsyed vegetable matter and is best
supplied through turning nnder veg
etable growths, such as cowpeas, or
through the use of stable manures.
Humus in the soil does several very
needed things.
First, it supplies a direct plant food
through the nitrogen, PHOSPHORUS and
potash that it contains, reing espec-
tally rich in nitrogen.
Next, in decaylng 1t forms COM
pounds that attack the locked-up
mineral elements of the soil and sets
them free to be absorbed by the plants.
Then 1t absorbs moisture and makes
the soil more slow in drying, besides
preventing the close PACKING that
comes with pudding in clay soils
deficient IN humus.
And as important as anything, per-
haps most important of all, it puts
life into the soil. Soils with
humus in them are really alive, for
the decayIng vegetable matter
attracts bacteria OF many sorts that In
their life and death and decay form
many compounds that the plants can
absorb and thus directly increase fer
tility and make plants grow.
Good soils are truly "live' soils filled
with legions of microscopic forms of
| life, most of It beneficial to the higher
orders of growing plants useful TO
men.
Poor Soils deficient in humus. cold,
puddled clsys, are literally dead"
soils and speak eloquently of dying
civilization and decaying people.
Alfalfa, then, revels IN deep, rich,
sweet soil How are we 10 provide it
in Kentucky
First, there are many river bottoms
that are admirably adapted to alfalfa,
being made mp of rich alluvial loans,
pervious to air and moisture and not
holding surplus of moisture. On
these soils alfalfa usually thrives
splendldly.
Next there are new lands freshly
cleared where robber crops have not
yet had time to take ont the fertility.
/ Often those newer soils will respond
wonderfully with alfalfa. Some very
steep mountain sides are growing
alfalfa finely when sowu on freshly
cleared surfaces.
Some lands IN the bluegrass section
are naturally fertile enough so that
/ they will, with little aid, grow alfalfa
4 very we'll Nevertheless even the best
or the old cleared parts of Kentucky
need manure before being sown TO
alfalfa.
We had best admit at the outset
that most Of old Kentucky fields
need enrichment to make them pro-
duce good alfalfa. And the best way
to enrich them is with liberal coatings
of stable manures.
Few farmers are aware Of the great
value of manures. They enrich far in
excess OF the actual potash phosphorus
and nitrogen carried.
Liberal dressings, then, of barnyard
manure, applied before it has leached
In ram, is the best preparation foI
alfalfa sowing.
If one has enough manure to pre-.
pare the soil foI ten acres let him
attempt 10 sow but five. If he can't
manure five let him content himself
with two. Two acres Of vigorous
alfalfa will yield as much as ten
acres of sickly, thin stuff on unpre-
pa rod soil