La Junta tribune., 1909-04-10
SEEDING ALFALFA.
Expert opinion on Important Topic,
Giving Conditions Necessary for
Best Results.

Expert Opinion on important Topic,
Giving Conditions Necessary for
Best Results.
Considering the fact that we are
almost sure to have an alfalfa meal
factory located in this vicinity In the
very near future. bulletin recently
sent to US by the Colorado State
article Seeding Alfalfa" by Philo X.
Blinn. formerly of the experiment
station at Rocky Ford. will be of in
terest to prospective growers of
this section. 1t Is as follows:
Hardly a mail comes to the Colo
RADIO Agricultural College that does
not contain an inquiry in regard to
the sowing of alfalfa, the varieties
best adapted to particular localities,
the quantity Of seed required per
acre, and the conditions and methods
necessary for good results.
The Colorado Experiment Station
has been testing the different varie-
ties and endeavoring by the sys-
tematic selection Of best individual
plants, to develop superior type of
alfalfa for hay and seed production.
The results of the work have been
very promising, indeed, but at pres
ent there Is no seed available for
distribution. although efforts to pro-
duce seed sufficient for wider tests
are being put forth. The varieties
that have given the best results in
nearly all the tests have been the
northern grown types. Some of the
Turkestan strains, the Grimm alfalfa,
and the varieties that have been in
troduced under the name OF Sand
Lucerne, are the most hardy and vig-
orous types. The Arabian variety ha
not been hardy. even in southern
Colorado, and the same has been
found to be true of all the seed from
the hot countries. Nearly all our ma
tive alfalfa, especially that from
California and the southwestern
Aates. has reached US by what
Saixht be called the southern route.
i. e., 1t was brought over by the
Spaniards into South America; then
across into Chill, and thence north
into the southern and southwestern
part Of the United States.
While 1t has been a great acquisi-
ton to our western agriculture,
bas lacked hardness to some extent,
and this probably accounts Tor tne
extrayaxant Recommendation for
pl6utlu8 V"Shy ~ S~'
seed per acre.
Usually it is the lack Of proper con-
ditions. rather than the lack Of guam
tity of seed, that Is responsible ior
a failure in getting stand OF aifaifa.
about 225 900 seeds, and ten pounds
Of seed per acre would give fifty or
more seeds to q square foot OF
ground. II the seed is vigorous ana
hardy and the conditions favorable.
len bounds of seed should insure
stand of from three to five good
stools per foot, which is sufficient.
Alfalfa is as hardy as clover, ana
should be sown early In the spring
10 get a good start and to have the
spring rains, which will insure lts
growth. For twenty years we nave
sown alfalfa seed the last OF Marcn
or the first of April. and we nave
never had q failure at ROCKY ro,u,
Colorado. On several occasions 'ne
young alfalfa seedlings survived
freeze of from i've to ten degrees OF
temnerature below 32, and gave no
evidence of injury. A fatal error IS
often made by sowing the alfaiia
seed too deep in the drills with gram
.shree to four inches deep; Alfalfa wiz
eldom reach the surface under sucn
canditions. The usual method IS 10
+ 55adcast the seed just ahead OF
the grain drill, either with an az
tachment on the drill or by nana'
in this way some Of the seed Is GOV
cred about the right depth, by har,
rowing after the drill. But much 0i
1t is SO near the surface that IL WIN
not survive; therefore. much seed Is
wasted. The ideal method would pe
TO have drill that would accurately
regulate the amount Of seed ana SOW
uniformly by drills not much owe osei
three-fourths Of an inch in aep.n.
We are sadly in need of a driii es
pecially designed for sowing anana
seed. II one has only a sman area !.
of two or three acres to SOW IL
might pay to take the pains TO SOW
with a common. garden driii, SO 90
to insure q uniform depth OF pian''
ing. ao
All the tests the writer has maos
with the drilling Of alfalfa In rows
have shown encouraging results ~
both hay yield and in the produc.loa
Of seed, a. it allows better cnancss
TO cultivate and regulate ana IN
troll moisture. It also economl1es
seed, for in drills eighteen to twenC
inches apart, four to five POUNDS
seed per acre will give good s'anu
Of alfalfa