The Ordway new era., 1909-11-26
WATER FOR ALFALFA
saturated Soil Is Something the
Plant Cannot Withstand.
Care should Be Taken Not 10 Apply
90 Much Moisture That It 10
Raised and the Feeding Of the
Roots Restricted,

Inc alfalia plant as we know roots
aeepiy and can draw moisture from a
considerable depth and thus will not
suher so quickly as other crops as II
can draw upon the reserve In The deem.
er soil. We know that alfalfa roots
penetrate no deeper than the water
tabie which should teach us that a sat
urate9 soil Is uncongenial and some
thihs which alfalfa cannot withstand
We should therefore avoid such excess
siSe Irrigation as will keep the soil
saturated. In general way we may
say that the desirable condition is
that OF half air and half water In the
SOIL The closer We can approach to
thlS the better. Irrigation therefore
means replcnishing the moisture con.
tents OF the soil to such n depth OF
snosoil ms Is pcrmeable and stopping
the irrigation so as not to saturate the
soil through and through.
Where the water table Is liable to
be affected by irrigation care should
be taken not to apply so much that
1t Is raised and the feeding area OF the
roots In that way restricted Over
irrigation will aggravate or cause wa.
terlogging OF the soil and the attend
ing accumulations of aikali Where
ground water Is within two feet OF the
surface as on some river bottoms al.
falfa does not thrive and generally
dies In from three to four years.
There are localities in foot hill dis.
| tFicfS Whara Gnnunpn from tho fppnO,
tains supplies enough moisture so that
very little or no irrigation Is required.
At the higher attitudes water Is ap-
piled from one to four times. the num-
ber depending upon conditions. and
two cuttings are harvested. At lower
attitudes there are from three to five
or even six irrigations and the alfalfa
is cut three times. On soils that are
not readily pcrmeable to irrigation wa
ter and therefore have small storage
capacity more than three irrigations
are necessary. Generally on such
| soils there are two irrigations before
! the first crop Is cut. two irrigations
between the first and second cuttings
| and but one between the second and
third The irrigations are so timed
that the second irrigation comes few
days before the first cutting and the
| fourth Just before the second cutting
| The alfalfa is cut rs soon after those
irrigations as the surface of the soil
| has dried enough so that the moving
can be done. This will be in from
! four to seven days. By irriSating In
this way before cutting moisture Is
supnlied to give the next crop start
It also delays blooming and increases
the period during which alfalfa is
in proper condition to cut, thus In
fact lengthening the cutting period
where large fields are to be harvested
Alfalfa natures quicker when the soil
is dry and If In that condition when
being cut some of 1t will get too far
along before 1t is moved to make good
hay.
Besides the irrigations mentioned
water is generally applied In the fal
in order that the fields may not &C
into winter dry. That has been found
beneficial.
The amount of water required by al
falfa for the season will range from II
TO 20 inches in depth or Ia to "a
acrefeet per acre. An average o'
about six inches in depth or half ar
acrefoot per acre is applied at one
irrigation. Our impervious soils vii
absorb no more than four inches In
depth.
Alfalfa to have the highest feeding
value should be cut when 1t first De
gins to bloom or at the stage wher
about one-tenth is in bloom. II cu'
at that time the next crop VIII nake
a quicker start than If the alfalfa Is
allowed to become mature. Ine
leaves also will stay on better If 1t Is
cut early. If there is a considerable
acreage to be cut begin cutting before
the alfalfa has reached the proper
stage. Before the cutting is complet
sd the proper stage will have passed