The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1906-07-13
THE FARM.
ALFALFA EXPERIENCES.

HOW 10 PREPARE A FIELD.


farm, and during the fall and winter pl
I haul what manure was made and Is
try to cover the field and let the ci
rains wash the manure in, and about 81
the middle of May to the first OF June II
pillow the field as deep as cam, n
and If there are any hard pans in o.
the field run bull tongue In s.
furrow behind the pillow, as these g
hard pans must be subsoiled-if you Il
have subsoil pillow so much the o
better. Harrow your field and Level +
up all the dead burrows. ] then lima !
the field as l find when lime is ap-
piled to stiff clay soil it renders II
more friable and easier to take mois 4
ture and eorreots any acidity of ne
soil. Some lands are SO sour that
the leguminous plants viii Il grow
unless you lime the land. then har-
row the field down to a me seed bed
and let II remain, so y ,ou will germi-
nate all the weed s. eds that may be
In the ground md as soon as the
weeds commerce TO show harrow
again, and repeat the narrowing sew
eral times at intervals during the
summer These frequent borrowings
viii kill all the weeds and conserve
the moisture. About the middle Of
August harrow and roll the field down
to a fine seed bed and drill into the
acre about 200 pounds Of 2-S-l feri-
lizsr, with 500 pounds of alfalfa bac-
terra sell from an old field Of alfalfa
that has bean established for several
years; then take Thompson wheel
barrow sewer and SOW 10 to Il quarts
of alfalfa seed to the acre, cover
lightly with weeder or light smcptn-
ing harrow.
The young alfalfa plants will COM
menoe to make a show in 10 days,
and If you happen to have seasol-
able rain the field will make a heavy
growth before frost. Keep all stock
off the field and let it go into winter
quarters with good cover The next
season your field will be established
and will give you three to four cut
tings. In sowing your alfalfa bacteria
soil for incubation care should BIZ
exercised that the soil does not dry
out before it is narrowed or incor
porated into the soil.
Fifteen to twenty pounds Of alfalf.
hay, cut just as it comes into bloom
and nicely cured with the leaves an'
blossoms on it, and 80 to 40 pound
Of sweet silage, composed of corn an
cow pea, cut one-fourth Of an Incl
long. will make COW do her best
giving you large flow OF milk
During the fall and winter and dur
lng. the growing season give her a
much green alfalfa as she will ca
This ration rs fairly balanced and ca
be grown on any southern Marylaa
farm and will make you indep2l1ec
OF the big mill products. The be'
result in feeding animals is obtal1e
an conjunction with the silo, an
every farmer who is prepared to so
alfalfa should build himself a CO.
crete or stone silo. round in form
30 to 40 feet deep and lG to 20 fe'
In diameter. This will hold moi
than 200 tons of silage. | plant n
silage corn four feet apart and eigl
TO 70 inches apart in the rows, al
at the same time plant with even
grain of corn three red ripper co
peas. cut the corn and COW pc
In auarter-inch lengths and pack
the silo as tight as l can The coi
should be we'll cared and yield
10 100 bushels to the acre. The G
pea should have plenty Of pods
the vine as the animal must get I
grain from the silo, in addition
It's succilency.
What alfalfa has done for kans
n will more than do for southe
Maryland-cur people can buy in Nj
sas City. Omaha and Chicago and
the panhandle region OF Texas sre
stock calves rich In the blood OF
beef breeds-ShorthOrns white ia
and Polled Angus-at lay down c
of SIS TO SIS head, and In ELF
months you can, with alfalfa in G
junction with corn and cow pea sila
ripen these steers into baby beef
realize $40 to $50 for them This
enable you to retain and build
the fertility Of your land. This !
Of the animal industry woald be
Of the question without the aif'
plant; for II you were compelled
buy from the various mill trusts
protein, in the shape OF mill l'
mhfch you must have to balnlace y
carbcnnceous food-and, with the
caption Of your clover hay and
peas. all the foods that you n
growing upon your farms are exec
lively rich in the carbohydrates
..or,ounondinglv moor In protein,