The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-05-05
ALFALFA IN WESTERN OREGON.
No Other Crop Offers So Many At
fractions to the Farmer.
II. d. Scudder. Department of Agronomy, 0rego
Agricultural College, Corvallis.

|
farm perhaps no other offers so msny
attractions and advantages to the
farmer as does alfalfa. AS an i'm
proven of the soil it has few equals and
no superiors AS forage for all classes
of live stock, whether used as hay,
green feed, or pasture, it is unexcelled
in yield, feed value, palatability, and
permanency of growth. To the farmer
keeping cows, hogs, or poultry, it is of
paramount value in that it is practi-
cally the only forage crop that will
supply green feed continuously through |
the dry summer months of this region
In addition to these advantages it is
superior to all other crops in quickly
improving and maintaining the appear
ance and selling value of farm lands.
Lack of understanding of the peculiar
tiles of the plant and its requirements,
has caused many failures of first at
tempts at growing the crop in Western
Oregon. This has led farmers to be-
lieve that alfalfa is not naturally
adapted to this region While this to
certain extent is true, yet the diff
cultics in the way may and have been
largely overcome. The splendid re-
suits obtained by the state expert
ment station and other growers in diff
ferent parts of Western Oregon should
convince the most skeptical of the
great future of the crop in this state.
AS authentic and accurately measured
yields to illustrate the possibilities of
| tho hara thnoa rnoardaI OF tho
experiment station may be cited. The
average of all the yields of the station
field for the last eight years has been
6.2 tons of cured hay per acre yearly,
or where cut as soiling crop, 26.3
tons of green feed per acre. This field
has the ordinary heavy clay loan soil
typical of the Willamette valley, and
has received no irrigation, fertilization
or special treatment whatever. Any
where in Western Oregon where GER
tain primary requirements of the crop
are satisfied, the same or better re-
suits should be obtained. 1t only be-
hooves the beginner to secure the best
advice obtainable as to methods OF
, growing; start with small piece; ex-
. pertinent with it until its requirements
are learned; gather experience from
: his failures and persist until success
full. The reward of such persistence
: is ample.
The primary requirements of alfalf;
are deep, we'll drained, sweet anc
. .. fertile soil, free from weeds. Th'
lands most nearly meeting these re
!, quirements are on the slopes of tn
rolling lands of the valley bottoms
the slopes and tops of the hills sur
:, rounding these valleys, or the dee
), sandy loan river bottoms we'll abov
the water level. The ordinary vale
u low fiat lands are not suitable.
: The deep feeding tap roots upo
y whose length these plants depend fo
o securing plant food and moisture, max
s. soil eight to ten feet in depth impel
ative. Although alfalfa prefers
sandy lean, yet it has proved equal
prosperous on the heavy clay LOAF
soils, heavy clay subsoil or hardpa
delaying but not stopping the roc
N growth.
Owing to the need of its roots ft
70 air, alfalfa, especially when young ar
o. during the growing season. is easil
,e injured by standing water either aboy
,5 or below ground. Root growth stoI
at once on striking waters -saturate
at soil, hence the water table should n,
,e be less than eight to ten feet belo
Is the surface of the ground during Il
nv growing season. Overflow from strean
n. in winter when the plant is dorma
T. does not cause much injury, even
On continued for several weeks.
bo OF even more Importance to the 8
.e- falfa plant than a deep and we
Of drained soil, are the bacteria whi
he produce the nodules on the root
through which the plant is enabled
Of draw upon the free atmospheric nitr
of gen, enriching the plant and the 81
10 with this most valuable of all the pla
,r- food elements. Conditions unfavorat
,os to the activities of these bacter
he cause corresponding lack of prospt
ity in the growth of the alfalfa. Ii
th- the plant roots, these bacteria requi
;lo abundance of air in the soil, up
- which to feed, and also a neutral
M slightly alkaline medium such as
" supplied in limestone soils, in which
work.
Unfortunately the lack of lime
Western Oregon soils, in addition
ate the prolonged wet season and the p
10 vailing heaviness of the soil, eau
ing long exclusion of the air from the s
OF and tendency towards acidity or SO
nee ness which is very favorable to the
10 falfa bacteria. Hence it is, perha
De that in majority Of Western Ores
thy soils these bacteria are not prese
OF and must be supplied by artificial in
ent ulation after the harmful acidity
A been corrected. This correction is
ay, complished in naturally well drail
una soils by application of different fol
of lime. Water slaked lime m
quickly and directly corrects soil az
ity-ground unburned lime more 81
ado ly but less expensively-while Ii
WINS annual dressings with land pla;
ten keen IL sweet (more or less indirect