Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-10
ALFALFA IN IOWA.
Frank DeForest Gives Six Years Elk.
perience.


Frank DeForest, OF Dows, on the Gull
ture of alfalfa, is OF interest to every
farmer in the state Of Iowa Mr. De-
Forest is one Of the most practical
farmers In Iowa, has grown the crop
for the past six years and has given
the subject careful study.
MY first experience with alfalfa
was in 1902. Mr.. Fobes and I talked
the matter over and we agreed that it
| would be just as easy to get a stand
of alfalfa as it would Of red clover.
This was before Prof. Cyril G. Hop
kins, OF the Illinois Station, had made
such an exhaustive study OF the ma
ture and requirements Of the plant
and OF the soil necessary to it's growth
in the humid climate Of the corn belt.
"I have learned q whole Lot since,
| I have obtained what knowledge /
have on the subject by reading three
or four OF the best agricultural papers
published and the bulletins on alfal-
ia from three different experiment
stations, in fact there has probably
been very little printed about this
plant that has escaped my notice.
Professor Hopkins must be given cred
1t for establishing the fact that alfal-
ia, to be successfully grown, requires a
species of bacteria in the soil peculiar
to itself by which nodules or tuber-
cles are formed on the roots by which
IT draws nitrogen from the air, with
out which 1t will soon. turn yellow
and die. These little nodules are just
as important to the life and vitality
of alfalfa to absorb nitrogen as per-
sons lungs to use the oxygen OF the
air to purify the blood.
at may be explained that bacteria
are tiny plants that can be seen only
with microscope hence, are called
microscopic plants. They cause yeast
to rise, milk to sour, and beef and
other flesh to decay but are all OF a
different species. Nitrogen or nitro
genous foods are used by animals to
produce lean meat, hair, horns, hoofs
and that portion OF the tail that YOU
tie to your boot straps while milking.
1t is also known by the name protein
and 1t Is believed that a dairy COW is
able to transform protein into milk.
The milk is a product Of the blood,
and blood contains sixty per cent OF
protein.
ut was not necessary to explain
these terms, Mr. Editor to anyone
that is familiar with them, but it is
done for those who are not
Procuring the Seed.
"If you decide to sow alfalfa be sure
to get good seed and nothing else
with 1t. Northern grown seed for
this latitude is best, also seed grown
without irrigation. have had good
success with Montana grown seed.
Don't let few cents pound induce
you to buy poor seed. 1t may be very
dear in the end.
Preparing the Ground.
| 1.-THE very best seed-bed for alfalfa is
| fall blowing. If this cannot be had
then the ground should be plowed
some little time before needed and al
| lowed to settle down solid. Then
work up a fine seed bed for two or
| three inches below the surface. Use a
| disc lightly then. crush or roll and har-
row and repeat till 1T is like garden
Now SOW not less than twenty pounds
of good seed per acre. part of 1t one
| way and part crosswise, that will give
you uniform stand. Harrow 1t light
lily to cover about one inch deep, lit
! tie deeper will do no harm, then run
| a roller or crusher over this to make
| the soil more compact
Soil Best Adapted for II.
"The very first requisite for alfalfa
lis rich soil. a. soil that has been
MANFRED for several years in advance
With a rich soil it is some times un-
necessary to inoculate 1T with sol.
from an old alfalfa field, but Woul,'
strongly urge anyone to get infected
soil and SOW 200 or 800 pounds per acre
| where it has never been raised
IL also requires well drained sol
and preferably a field that is gently
sloping with no small depressions
where water will stand and freeze
and thus smother the plant. Water
should not stand nearer than ten feet
| from the surface. Do not clip the
nlant with a mower the first year. II
! needs all the growth it can get te
stand the first winter. / believe
4 ruined my first sowing by cutting II
off twice close to the ground Bu1
! we are learning each year to DO petter
I In the spring of the second year after
| sowing. disc your field thoroughly ano
4 drag it down, this will split the
crowns Of the roots, thicken up the
stand and will kill tame grasses ana
4 weeds.
Cutting and Curing.
"Fxamine your alfalfa just after the
first blossoms appear. If you find
shoots starting up from the roots one
/ half inch to one inch long 1T should
he cut Immediately. Don't cut 1T be-
fore If YOU wait longer you will in
lure the quality of the first crop ano
reduce the quantity OF the second
Begin to cut about 9 or 10 o'clock when
the dew is off, start a hay tedder right
! after dinner and if it is a nice drying
dav with a good breeze it will 90 to
nut in shock at 8 p. m. if there are no
weeds or red clover in it. Let it stand
in shock for three or four days-per
haps two days will some times De
enough-then if necessary open the
shocks slightly and let it air and II no
moisture shows by twisting 1T in the
hands it will do to put IN the NOV
safely. 1t must not be so dry as to lose
! the leaves. they are the most valuable
! part of the plant. Some judgment must
! he used of course as to when to begin
TO cut, occasionally ] have begun ar
| ter dinner, and raked and shocked II
! the next afternoon. This is best ii 1T is
! very heavy.