The Green Forest tribune., 1909-08-20
niSK l,l Gny.s.nG ALF4tr r
Too Fine Crop to Get Into Disrepute, and Put Few Georaians Un-
 derstand 1t.

! There iG a great awakening of in terest in alfalfa-growing, especially in North Georgia, and numbers of our people are expecting to SOW it this ] fall, says w. l.. StaIlings, in Southern i Cultivator. We are proud of the awakened interest, but want to sound word of warning Alfalfa is too fine crop to get into disrepute through failures to grow it, and but few of our people are in shape to even begin it.. A number of failures in the community l will give the growing of this wonder 1 ful crop set back which will require years to overcome
 First, be it known that alfalfa is a , difficult crop to start in new section. The young alfalfa plant is very tender, and crab grass and weeds are apt to crowd it out before it gets established. Land to be sown to alfalfa should first be treated for two or three years 60 free the land as far as possible from these pests. We have small plot 1 which we have been trying for three years to get into shape, and is yet unfit. We shall attempt it this fall, but if a partial failure results will not be discouraged.
 Land for alfalfa should be made very rich, and should be we'll supplied with nitrogen and humus. The plot we arc preparing has been in peas for two seasons, and is now in red clover We purpose turning and subsoiling in June, then put on about a ton of air slacked lime and disc and harrow re- peatedly until September, then SOW about 20 pounds of seed to the acre.
 In but few sections of Georgia is there sufficient lime in the soil for this crop. A natural limestone soil, or soil in which there are limestone peb- bles, is said to be sufficiently alkaline for alfalfa, but the greater part of our soils are too acid, and an appli- cation of lime is absolutely necessary.
 Before sowing the seed it would be best to treat them with a culture of nitrogen fixing bacteria This treat ment does not always insure success with alfalfa, but is usually of great benefit in getting it started. These cultures can be obtained from the Ma tional Department of Agriculture, at some seasons, and may be bought from some of our prominent seedsmen. One gentleman who has made a sue cess of growing this crop tells me that he prepares his land as we'll as possible, soWs to alfalfa, mows it for two seasons, then prepares and lines the land a second time and usually gets a perfect stand the second trial.
 Our people have been so accustomed to depicting the land of humus in planting and cultivating cotton, and have gotten so in the habit of plant ing and sowing crops with poor prep aration that 1 am fearful there will be many failures in the attempt to grow alfalfa. To the man who expects to plant land which has been planted to cotton for years, and whose idea Of preparation is to break with a one horse blow and drag over once with spike-tooth harrow, I want to give this bit of advice: Don't do it. Let al falfa go. It is better not to attempt it than to throw away your labor and seed, and then conclude it cannot be grown"
 The great hay-grower Clark, when preparing for alfalfa in New England. after repeated breakings narrowed his land 30 times before sowing. He made a success of growing alfalfa where most people said it was impos sible to grow it. Unless you are will ing to do about five times as much work in preparing land as you have ever done, don't try alfalfa in Geor- gia. If you are willing you can suc- ceed