The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-09

Alfalfa l1r Wisconsin and lhe nos
/ si1uues W growing this wonderiu
( plant iu our northern ATTITUDES wa.
( the theme of al Interesting and helm
t ial address by Prof r. A. Moore ot
y the University of Wisconsin before
the 1908 meeting Of the cheesemakers
association. Prof Moore believes
that alfalfa. while yet in fits expert.
mental stage tH Wisconsin. has come
20 stay.
A thing most important in the pro.
duction of alfalfa Is testing the seed
for termination. In recent years al.
falfa seed has tested as low as ten per
cent terminating quality Much Of
the termination power IS ruined In the
way alfalfa seed is occasionally har.
died through heating before being
separated, etc. The remedy for farm
ers is, Of course. to put the seed
through terminating test before
seeding The usual process NAV be.
followed, taking for example 100 seeds
and placing these on a moistened pad
Of cotton cloth, similar pad placed
On the top Of these between two
plates. where they may be left At the
proper temperature for few days 70
germinate Then remove the ton
plate and pad and count results. II the
seed tests below SO per cent you may
begin to feel suspicious Of It.
In securing this crop in these north.
ern latitudes the farmer should frst
learn how, experimenting IN a small
though practical way. Put in an acre
Or half acre. to begin with and then
start in to get conditions right.
Do not seed on low, level valley
Select gentle slope An ideal son /
or alfalfa is clay loan on TOP of
sTayel. This plant wants a soil Il
an penetrate. You, who are at ali
amiliar with alfalfa, win remember
hat It sends down taproot occasion.
lly 10 to Is feet and more. Where all
alta will be grown to advantage in
he near future In Wisconsin IS in the
lder subdued soils Of the south cen.
ral counties. Further north in the
tate its development must necessa.
ly be slower.
Alfalfa Is easy on a soil. It IS
'gume and has the power Of taking
Itrogen from the air most wonder.
Y and valuable consideration. In
Of the soil we like to SOW
falfa In rotation with other crons
e like to use a thin nurse crop OF
ther oats or barley, preferrlng bar. !
y, II this does well on the land Make
fine seedbed in the spring and SOW
le bushel Of oats or barley to the
re and 20 pounds Of good alfalfa !
ed. Put In only one or two acres \
most at the beginning, and not
acres. We must largely learn :
doing, even though we understand
2 principles Of alfalfa growing. It is
Ten found best to cut this crop the
g year in order to prevent the
rse crop from smotheriag the young
ara plants. Cut the oats the first
ar for hay and you may possibly cut q
second crop Of alfalfa the same sea
D.
y harvesting, cut In the morning
er the dew is of the ground and on =
air day. In the afternoon rake into
ldrows and cock it up, even If it
'ears quite green to the eye You
thus save the leaves through ex-
sive drying of. They will not
OK and become lost. favor the
OF hay caps to protect alfalfa from ye
and air. 1t keeps the plant palata. =
to stock. We like, IL possible. to u
alfalfa 30 through the sweating It
cess In the cock before taking to p
barn. pa
su
.