Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-05-06

terly Meeting of the County Board.
Profitable Address on "AIfalfa-tIle
Farmers Exchange Reported as As
sured.
(From Monitor Register)
The quarterly meeting of the Salem
County Board of Agriculture was held
in the Borough Hall, Woodstown, on
Wednesday afternoon. There was only
a small attendance of farmers, as this
is a busy season with them, and they
evidently believe in the practical work
of the farm just now.
Carol Petit reported that the Far
mers Exchange is now an assured
thing, about $4,000 of stock having
been subscribed
J. Gilbert Borton said he thought
the WoOdstown members of the Com
mittee on the Farmers Exchange were
deserving Of special commendation
for the work they had done in pushing
it along.
Prof. E. B. VOORHEES,, President of
the State Board of Agriculture, was
4 present and told the farmers how to
grow alfalfa. He said that all he
could hope to do in promoting this
! great industry was to get some one
in every community to begin to grow
/ this feeding plant, which is one of the
best, as well as a good soil enricher,
and then others will follow after. He
said he had been charged with having
alfalfaphobia, and while he plead
guilty to the charge, he hoped it was
the common sense kind On the State
farm, he said, they were hoping to
get about forty acres growing alfalfa,
and then they will grow only corn and
alfalfa. He said they are able to
grow about six tens of alfalfa to the
acre at acutting costing about Sc per
/ ton to grow it, not counting interest
on land and not including any ferti-
! lizer.
He then told how to grow it, and
said it would last about five years.
However, some growers by close cut
/ ting will kill it the first year, but
even in such instances it leaves The
4 land in good condition. He said the
farmers of this State are now paying
! $1,000,000 year for fertilizer in order
to get nitrogen in the soil. The farm
ers could save much of This if they
would raise alfalfa In the West the
4 farmers have learned the yaIne of
growing this crop, and in Kansas so /,
/
special day to celebrate the advent of
this crop It is making the State of
Kansas rich. 1t is wonderful crop
to dig up phosphoric acid and potash
and bring it to the surface. 1t roots
deep, and has been known TO go down
as far as twentw-four feet Then it
is on the ground so thick that it be-
comes a most valuable agent for the
farmer TO enrich his lands in the
mineral elements.
| The first thing is a good soil. The
ground must be naturally we'll drained
If the water stands on the ground, it
will be death to alfalfa. Wherever
good corn or potatoes can be grown
alfalfa will grow. The very character
of alfalfa makes it possible to grow
it on light sandy land, With a good
natural soil, you have the proper be-
ginning to make soil by fertiliZing
to get hunus, potash and nitrogen,
/ that will grow alfalfa. Lime is an es-
sential fertilizer, because the land is
generally deficient in this constituent,
for the reason that so much is being
| taken off each year. Use about two
tons to the acre of ground lime, and
not more than four tons, and about
one ton of Stacked lime. Lime mari
is a good thing, if you can get it, and
use about ten or twelve tons to the
acre. 1t should be applied month or
two before seeding, in order to get it
we'll incorporated in the soil. The
young plant neds good soil, well
pulverized with all the needed con-
stituents, so that it will have some
thing to feed on until it is able to take
care of itself White potatoes, cow
peas or oats are good crops to pre-
cede alfalfa. A little care is needed
in growing potatoes for fear of the
application 0 flime causing scab in
potatoes.
The next care should be to get good
seed, preferably that grown in Utah
or that section of the West. Seed about
the first of August, but do not cut off
the first fall. Let it grow. When you
do cut, begin when the blossoms ap-
pear, and cutIt about two inches from
the ground Don't let it go to seed.
When you cut, don't let the heaps lay
too long on the ground. If it is wet
and you cave it lay, without turning
over, it will kill the succeeding growth
as it begins to sprout at once after
being cut over.
When you feed it, don't feed too
much Animals are fond of it, but
it needs to be fed with care. 1t is as
good for hogs and chickens as for
cattle.
When you begin growing it, try
only an acre at first, and the inocula-
tion is very important, and good way
to do this is to sow about pound of
the seed with your other seeding of
clover or wheat. This will generally
inoculate the soil and get the soil
ready to grow a crop.
Reeves Flitcraft said he had tried
it, but found difficulty in keeping it
through the winter. He Regards it
much more valuable as agfeed than
red clover.
B. F. Straughen said they have the
same difficulty on their light soil in
Oldmans.
Prof. Voorhees, advised an applica-