The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-24

ALFALFA EXPERIENCE.
Judge Humphrey Tells Of His Success
with Crop.

Among the successful growers of al.
falfa in Illinois is Judge J. Otis Hum
phrey Of Sangamon county. Speaking
OF his experience with the crop at the
Tazewell county farmers institute re-
Gently, he said: 2iisfiI4 y a3t
Il tried for three years to grow al
falfa and 1t died out every time, but
don't say that crop can't be grown
simply because failed In producing
1t. The scientist is among us, and he
is the only man who actually knows,
and he has finally taught us how to
make alfalfa grow.
Then / agreed to follow the exact
advice of DR.. Cyril G. Hopkins of the
Illinois agricultural experiment sta
ton. got soil from an old alfalfa field
(soil from sweet clover patch will
DO the same) to inoculate the ground
with bacteria. The land was rich as
cream and thoroughly tiled. l put on
bone meal lime and manure and
plowed it under.
After working the ground into the
best order l ever saw field, had it
worked just as much more 1t was
narrowed until there was not a clod
In it. And l have not had a particle
OF trouble since in growing alfalfa.
You may SOW alfalfa any time from
May to August, and II you will do II
right and follow the right you can grow
alfalfa anywhere in the corn belt, and
the crop is worth $50 an acre. SOW
one bushel to five acres; that IL IL
pounds to the acre
have never had a complete stand
at first. If / had ten per cent of al
falfa on the ground. l would go on
and make a stand of it. l disk all the
bare places In the field and wherever
the stand does not satisfy me, setting
disks almost straight. / never killed
my alfalfa by disking it. disk, resow
and harrow these bare places. l have
done this the first week in June, the
middle of July, the last week in Au-
gust and the first of October, and al
ways with good results.
now have five fields of alfalfa. and
for the last six years have cut about
four tons per acre Of this marvellous
crop.
In my Judgment, alfalfa Is the most
marvellous food and forage plant, con-
tanning the most of the elements that
sustain life Of any In existence.
Corn, wheat and oats have no power
to get nitrogen from the air, but al
ralfa is the greatest nitrogen-axing
plant on earth. 1t secures from the
air four times as much nitrogen as
red clover. But 1t will also make you
money while 1t is storing nitrogen for
you. l believe that alfalfa, one year
with another, is better money-maker
even than corn.
All animals on the farm from chick
ems up will eat alfalfa; the pigs thrive
on 1t; sows will go through winter
on it; it is good for the mares; wean-
ling colts fed alfalfa and shelled oats
come out fat in the spring and shed
of in March. 1t supplies more green
iced for the hogs than anything else,
and this is a great prevention of hog
disease. have tried 1t, and l think
know about it. would not give a
Ton of alfalfa for two of timothy. You
cannot feed horse anything in the
world he likes SO we'll as alfalfa. Put
corn, shelled oats, bran mash and al
salfa In his manger, and you will see
That he eats the alfalfa first. l don't
know any animal that will not leave
every other food to get alfalfa.