Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-06-11
ALFALFA FOR
NEW SETTLERS

tent. He must decide upon partic-
ular line of farming and adapt his
croppage to the production of one
main product. 1t may be some Or
chard fruit or small fruit or milk or
butter or wool and mutton or pork
or potatoes or sugar beets or fine
stock. Each one of these lines will
require a particular system OF farm
management and most Of them will
presuppose some crop rotation. The
settler in laying plans should con-
slider the character of the soil We
find that all our western soils are
well supplied with all mineral ele-
ments essential to plant growth but
lacks humus or decayed organic mat
ter and nitrogen. To supply this de-
ficiency is imperative and it may
easily be done by growing alfalfa.
The various field crops yield near
ly if not twice as much better after
alfalfa has occupied the land as be-
fore. To get the land into alfalfa
as soon as possible is therefore a de-
sirable expedient Alfalfa yields but
lightly or scarcely any the first year,
hence some other forage crop must
be grown on part Of the land Beard
less barley may be grown and cut for
hay a short time before it Is mature.
Field peas and oats sown together
at the rate Of one bushel of peas to
one of oats will yield early feed for
stock. Alfalfa is our banner crop,
however, and is just as important as
an improyer of the soil as it is as a
hay crop. The surface must be
leveled in the best possible manner
for alfalfa as it occupies the land for
several years.
One good method of getting land
into perfect condition for alfalfa Is
to grow small grains the first year
and start alfalfa the second. Any de-
fects in the levelng can then be
noted and rectified at the end of the
first year. If the land has been pre-
pared in the fall alfalfa should be
seeded early In the spring while
there Is moisture to bring it up and
irrigation water should be withheld
as long as possible to induce the
roots to strike deep into the soil
Though delaying the planting of al
falfa until the second year has some
advantages, would advise a settler
to start some the first year, for II is
quite possible to prepare some new
land for alfalfa in a tolerably salts
factory manner The weather win
generally not be suitable for level
ing and plowing until April or MAY.
BY the time the land has been pre-
pared the soil will be too dry to GER
inmate the seed and give good
stand, hence It Is advisable to irri-
gate before planting. Alfalfa may be
started in this way any time from
May to August The best way to
plant alfalfa is with a seeder that
sows 1t In drill rows and covers the
seed. Plant without a nurse crop
and at the rate of 12 pounds the
acre Alfalfa may be expected to do
no more the first year than become
well established. Clipping it once is
benefit as that induces stooling.
The second year 1t will give three
cuttings and the third year it will
yield a little more than the second
year
Alfalfa may occupy the land from
three years to as many as desired.
When alfalfa fields are plowed up II
Is found that the soil has gained
greatly In humus and nitrogen. A
much greater amount of these con
stituents, however are added TO the
soil when u green crop of alfalfa IS
turned under. Such green manur-
ing prepares the land for sugar bocts
or for orchard planting and is bene-
ficial TO any crop that is To follow
A crop of alfalfa turned under Is
worth ten tons OF sugar beats the !
acre as fertilizer The second cr5n |
Of alfalfa should be used ror green |
manuring and the land should na ir- |
rigated short time before blowing |
The land should be narrowed after |
'lowing to conserve moisture. with |
The soil moist and the weather warm
The roots a3 well as the foliage turn.
I'd viii dccompose readily The dc.
'ay spreading TO the roots lnsurcs the
Killing Of the alfalfa Elias Nelson
n Field and Farm.
u You Are Worth $4,000 Don't
Rpnb Thi.