The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-02-11

began TO experiment with clover over
eight years ago.
There are two ways OF getting a
good stand. One way is TO SOW a
pound of clover seed with every
1--WE years. hve or six pounds OF
clover will have been sown and the
lani is then ready to be sown to
clover. The best way to get a good
stand of clover is to sow the seed
heavily on land thathas been treated.
and planted to the cord. ami well
manured. s3l E
Another way to prepare the land
is to scatter soil, on which Clover
has been sown, over THE field }, 2
bushsl or 50. Of the soil to the acre
being about Right. ~, !.
1t is not ths rule to SOW alfalfa
with a nurse crop. Seen from
afteen to. Is pounds Of alfalfa. seed 4
to the acre on old potato ground.
we'll MANFRED, on which inpculated
soil has been scattered. At the Flax
ton, Ross and Granville experiment
stations where this has been done,
the alfalfa has grown q foot and a
half tail the frst season.
II the weeds bother the first crop,
NOW Of the tops Of the weeds before
they go to seed. The tops ,of the
weeds form a mulch which help the
plants. Don't cut alfalfa the hrst
season. Let 1t Stand SO it will catch
the SHOWS, which protect the plants.
The first winter is the critical peri
3D. The second year cut the ali
alta once or twice the second time
not later than August. You will then
have a good. growth before winter
to catch the snow. Alfalfa should be
sown about May 10.
One farmer asked how to prepare
the corn or potato ground for the
alfalfa. He was told to disc it we'll
but not solow the land.
In scattering the soil, a hundred
or two hundred pounds might be
scattered to each acre. Let the wind
scatter it, or try one farmers meth
cd, in hauling manure, throw on a
quantity Of the soil.
Chas. Taylor, who farms south OF
Minot, told OF growing alfalfa sue
cessfully which grew to a height of
As inches. He never scattered any
inoculated soil. He experimental by
manuring half the ground, but could
not see any difference. Prof. Hover
stad said this spoke well for the
character OF the soil, which must
have all been very rich. Mr.. Taylor
put his alfalfa in on back setting
of new land Mr.: Taylor planted
about eight pounds to the acre and
got a good stand.
1t was learned that there are ma
tive pplants that have the bacteria
necessary to the successful growing
OF alfalfa, viz: the sweet clover.
| One farmer suggested that some
sweet clover be s'own in order to
inoculated the soil, but Prof. Shaw
thot the plant not a good one. for
no animal will eat the sweet clover,
and the farmer might have some
trouble in getting rid OF it.
Walter Leach of Lynch told of
growing fifteen acres of alfalfa sue
cessfuil and thot perhaps he had
gotten the seed too thick.
One farmer told of sowing less
than a bushel to the acre. He had
a nurse crop. but the alfalfa froze out
he thought.
o. NJ. Champin, Surrey farmer,
told of failure in growing alfalfa.
He soWei on high ground, and there
seemed to be too many foreign
weeds in the seed. His neighbor,
G. e. Dresher, howev r, sowed some
of the same seed on low ground, and
got good stand. This was good
point brot out. It was thought too
THAT perhaps some OF the alfalfa that
failed was not winter killed but
suffered from the excessive dry
weather Of September and October
two years ago.
Prof. Shaw would SOW the alfalfa
seed with a drill one or two inches
deep. He believed It advisable to
top dress alfalfa in the fan With
barnyaM manure lightly. Walter
Leach asked II 1t would be advisable
to disk the alfalfa in the spring to
kill the weeds, andwas told that It