Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-12-26
THE A, B, c OF
ALFALFA GROWING
Cultivation and Treatment Of the First
Two Years Are importantly r.
L. Bennett, Dir. Ark. Expert.
ment Station.

There has come IL general and wide
inquiries for information are numerous
from all sections. Alfalfa us a hay
and pasture plant is worthy of all this
interest in its growth, and because OF
Its excellence it is Very necessary that
the first ones to attempt TO grow the
plant be successful. for ii they fail
others will not try ii. and the cause
of alfalfa will be set back many years.
There are important conditions neces.
sary for success-these we have OBJ.
served in our experiments, and they
will be briefly mentioned in this cir
cular.
The plant is perennial--grows up.
right. and is resistant To both cold
and drought. The seed are kidney
shape. rather thin, and about one
twelfth inch long. The leaf is broader
at tip than base. Western grown seed
are better for sowing. as they are per-
haps more resistant 10 drought and
f"eeZ.N<E than local or eastern grown
seed -" loot is perennlal-and from
tho G., IA passes straight down into
the .bSuil. and if not prevented by
rocks. 10 eight feet aud beyond.
Hence the subsoil must be open or
penetrable. Well drained. not water
soaked. and it must be fertile. since
few inches of fertile top soil on a
poor subsoil would be of no value to al
falfa, as the roots would be beneath 1t.
Therefore the subsoil must be fertile
and we'll drained. or alfalfa will fail
absolutely.
AS alfalfa grows up and is moved
or graZed the crown sends up new
stalks. From this fact it follows that
grazing should never be clean. nor the
stalk cut at the ground.
The time to SOW in the milder cli-
mates is August Is to October Is. It
can be sown in spring but not as adj
vantageously, because when fall sown
it comes up and makes a good root
and top growth before cold checks the
growth. Then in March, it begins
rapid growth and attains considerable
height and covers the ground before
crab grass and other weeds start.
Then, also, the root growth is suf1-
GENTLY deep to withstand any ordinary
summer drought, but at planting there
should be enough water in soil to
bring up the seed.
The best preparation of soil is to
sow cowpeas broadcast on soil in
spring, cut off for hay in August, then
with a disc harrow or shallow cult.
vator loosen the top two inches OF
soil thorOughly-not deeper than three
inches-smooth with tooth harrow
and SOW the seed at the rate of 90
pounds per acre. Cover with tooth
harrow and then roll the ground; then
brush off the surface with a brush
drawn by horses. This to prevent
rapid drying out of soil after rolling
Seed covered one to two inches is
about right; the latter if soil is rather
dry or open. If the seed are known
to be all good and the soil in prime
moist condition, Is pounds of seed is
sufficient. The terminating power Of
seed can be tested by placing a few
between wet cloth with one end OF
corner resting in water to maintain
saturation. If heavy rain occurs
Immediately after sowing and hard
dry crust forms, this may be broker
with light tooth harrow, or roller
even if seed are sprouting. They arr
too weak to break through a hare
, crust.
The first summer is the critical tim,
in the life of alfalfa. Moving must b.
| done. and done often, without waitin:
for blooms to appear. Cut when eigh
to ten inches higher oftener, i
weeds and grass are growing and al
falfa is not. Cut at this stage tn
growth and vigor of the plants hav
not been checked by efforts to form
or make seed. Seed making is YER
exhausting on the entire plant, AM
when permitted to bloom Or form see
before moving the vitality of the plant
is largely subdued for the season, an
crab grass and weeds then get in tilei
good work of determination. Tn
sickle bar should be raised SO as not t
cut too close to the ground. Under e,
ira favorable conditions moving ever
two weeks may be necessary. FRI
quent moving checks the growth. c
weeds and grass and causes alfalfa
branch or multiply new stalks and il
crease its vigor. and are essential, e.
pecially if growing slowly. Wheneve
the plants stop growing a clippin
will be beneficial.