St. Tammany farmer., 1906-02-10
FARMER AND PLANTER.
!. :. CULTIVATION OF ALFALFA

/. CULTIVATION OF ALFALFAI
Some History and Directions Con.
cerning the Cultivation of AL
falfa, BY an Expert
The impression seems to be gener-
ally prevalent that alfalfa IS a newly
discovered, or recently introduced
plant. 1t is quite true that it has been
but recently introduced in the western
states, by way of California. from the
west coast Of South America. But it Is
q fact that under the name of lucerne
it has been cultivated in the middle
and south Atlantic states for seventy
five years, or longer, having been in
troduced into this country from the
southeastern part of France, under, its
French name, ..Lucerne." F. D. Co
burn, in his book on Alfalfa" says:
las early as 1920, years before It
reached California, it was grown in
New York, but seems to have been but
little appreciated"
The father of this writer certainly
cultivated lucerne, in small way, as
far back as 1848, and probably several
years earlier, and the writer hinstlf
has been familiar with it's culture on
his own farm SO long as As years ago.
Very little more is now claimed for
alfalfa, or is now known about it, than
was known, under its older name, more
than thirty years ago.
Since the discovery and promulga-
ton of the fact that leguminous plants
possess the power Of assimilating nj
trogen Of the air by means Of the bac-
terial tubercles, or nodules, on the
roots of such plants, the impression
has been made that lucerne, which is a
legume, may not be successfully culti-
waited unless the seeds, or the soil,
shall be artidcially inoculated with
suitable nitro cultures, or soil from q
successful plot Of lucerne. This is GER
tainly not universally. even II general
ly, true. Without entering into an ex-
haustive discussion of the question It
may be sufficient to admit that there
may be localities or soils in which the
entire absence Of the proper bacterial
germs may render it necessary to ar
tificially inoculate. But it is certain
that there are other localities and soils
probably the majority Of soils in the
south-where the common cowpea has
beer. successfully cultivated for sever
al generations. that will produce lu-
cerM, without artificial incubation.
Otherwise, how may we explain its
successful culture in the days Of our
ancestors, who knew nothing of the
modern theory OF nitro-bacterial agen-
cy ard the practice of soil incubation?
Surely the change of name from "Lu-
cerne' to Alfalfa has not wrought a
change in the habits and requirements
of thu. plant itself.
A soil that is abundantly supplied
with lime is better for lueerne than
one ir which lime is more or less want
ing. This defect, however, may be
remedied by applying from ten to
twenty bushels of air-slacked lime per
acre, either as part of the preparation,
before planting, or at any time there
after.
The requirements of soil and prepar-
alton ind the details OF culture may be
stated in order as follows:
/. The soil must be naturally fertile,
or must be literally fertilized, apply
ing say from 600 to 1000 pounds Of
high grade acid phosphate and from
$50 t., $50 pounds Of nitrate Of potash
Tor four times that amount Of kainit)
per ARE.
2. The soil must be well under
drained either naturally or artificially.
Luce.ne will not flourish where there
Is stagnant water within three or four
feet Of the surface.
8. IT is highly probable that prepar-
atory application of four or five tons
Of we'll rotted stable or barnyard ma
nure per acre will render artificial in
cularior unnecessary. The nitrogen of
the manure will sustain the growth Of
the lucerne until the bacterial germs,
already present in most southern soils,
or contained in the manure, shall have
timn to multiply.
4. On q soil that is stocked with
weeds it is desirable to SOW the seeds
in the fall Of the year, say as early as
the last Of October, provided the soil
shall have. been previously well pre-
pared by deep plowing and Thorough
narrowing, and provided, also, that
there shall be sufficient moisture in the
surface soil to induce prompt genera
tion of the seeds and sustain the growth
of the young plants until strong enough
to withstand the first severe cold OF
early winter. The young plants are
easily killed by an ordinary freeze. The
roots soon become hardy and are
capable of resisting the severest cold.
The. annual growth Of stems and foM-
sge is always tender and unable to with
stand q hard frost. y
II conditions are not favorable for
fall sowing the next best time is early
in the spring, after the danger Of severe
frost has passed.
S. After preparing the land by fer
tilizing and repeated deep plowings and
harrowings, the seeds may be sown in
the drills thirty inches apart and COW
cred not exceeding half inch. Prepare
and sow just as you, would to secure a
fine crop of rutabage turnips," is good
rule for planting. Fifteen pounds Of
good seed are sufficient tos sow one acre
of we'll prepared soil, II sown with skill
ana care. But If the surface be at all
rough, or other conditions be unfavora-
Bile, it will be well to SOW as much as
twenty pounds per acre.
q ncha .n1an4n hn.,,orro,. fhicI1yt fl1av