Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-03-04
ALFALFA LANDS.
Old Garden and Tobacco Soils Produce
the 1iahest YIELDS.

Old Garden and Tobacco Soils Produce
the Highest Yields
II has leon announced by Or. G. G
Hopkins OF The Illinois experiment sta
ton that soil from about the roots OF
sweet clover plants VIII serve to inoc-
ulate alfalfa also. and a pot test at the
Ohio experiment station seems TO sup
port this statement
In preparing alfalfa or sweet clover
soil for use It should not be dried I'm
the sunlight, as the direct rays may
kill many OF the bacteria. For this
reason also care should be taken In
broadcasting the soil not to allow II TO
remain In the sunlight without harrow
ing
The Preceding Crop.
Alfalfa has followed almost the
whole list Of other crops. but those
which have most frequently preceded
alfalfa are corn, clover. wheat. pota-
toes, oats and timothy. arranged ac-
cordlng 10 the number of times they
have been represented, corn leading In
a large majority Of cases. We find that
the clover and potato lands have led
with about an equal yield and are fol-
lowed i'm the order OF their yields by
corn. timothy ana oats. The very high
est yields have come from Old garden
and tobacco soils. The chief point Of
interest ia these facts is the evident
advantage which comes from the rich
er soils
Glover land usually contains COM
paratiyely large quantity OF organic
matter in the form of manure, roots
and stubble The potato land has usu-
ally been well MANFRED and fertllize,
and the garden is always the richie
spot on the farm. The tobacco land
seeded to alfalfa was naturally fertile
and In addition OF course had been
fortified and given good cultivation.
Amount of Seed TO Use.
From seven and half TO ninety
pounds OF seed are reported by grow
ers TO have been used on one acre of
land. A twenty acre field which was
seeded with only seven and a half
pounds Of seed per acre Is said to have
given an average yield Of four and a
half tons of hay per acre, and various
fields having been sown with from ten
to twelve pounds Of seed per acre are
said TO have given yields ranging from
three to -four and half tons per acre.
On the other hand, no complaints
have been reported from farmers
where the larger amounts Of seed were
used, and considerable number who
IN the past have used from fifteen TO
twenty pounds of seed state that they
prefer using more seed.
Various writer's and speakers have
correctly shown that twenty and even
fifteen and twelve pounds Of seed is
an extravagant waste OF seed when
even a reasonable per cent Of the seeds
produce plants. It seems in most cases
where heavier seeding has been con
sidered an advantage that the main
object was 10 combat weeds or. In 9th
er words, to make the extra amount
Of seed serve the purpose Of nurse
crop
Alfalfa seed Of course is rather ex-
pensive TO be used for the production
Of n nurse crop. but It Is quite proba-
BILE that It Is as good rs or better than
some OF the regular crops used for
nurse IS VIII be seen in that which
follows. however. we prefer 10 combat
weeds with clean culture.
Under Average Conditions.
The amount of seed that VIII be re
quired will depend upon the perfection
OF the seed bed. the kind OF soil and
the condition Of the weather at time
Of sowing. The more perfectly the
seed bed IS supplied with food and
moisture and cleared OF weed seed the
less seed VIII be REQUIRED Sandy soils
viii usually demand little more seed
than the finer grained soils. In sea-
sons when the weather Is especially
unfavorable exceptionally cold. wet
or dry more seed should he sown also
Under average conditions as now
found on the farm from fifteen to
twenty pounds Of seed is az least
safe amount to use. As the impor-
TANGO OF n weed free seed bed becomes
better appreciated and the land be
comes more generally inoculated this
amount can likely be reduced