The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1909-05-06


plants through the first two years until
their deep feeding roots are establish
ed. Such fertilization as barnyard
manure or green manure Qike rye or
vetch plowed under) is best applied to
the crop preceding the alfalfa or by
preceding it with clover or vetch.
Aside from its plant food and moisture
retentive value the humus from such
fertilization is of great assistance to
the alfalfa bacterial activities.
Preparing for alfalfa in the preeed-
ing crop is also important in enabling
the prospective grower to clean up the
weeds. Weeds, because of their more
rapid growth, heavy draughts on
available plant food and moisture, and
their shading, are highly injurious to
the young alfalfa. Hence by proceed
ing alfalfa with a thoroughly cultivat-
ed crop such as kale, corn, potatoes,
or roots, all of which do best heavily
MANFRED, the ground is made clean and
fertile for the alfalfa.
The causes of failure to secure
stand of alfalfa are generally a poorly
prepared seed bed, poor seed, or the
wrong time or method of seeding. The
causes of the failure of the crop to
grow after a good stand has been Sc
cured, are either lack of alfalfa bac-
terra, the need of lime, pasturing when
too young, an impoverished soil, over
crowding with weeds, a shallow soil,
poor drainage, lack of cultivation, or
improper after treatment. A crop
properly started and cared for should
produce steadily without reseeding for
fifty years or more.
Owing to the excessive rainfall of
winter and the heavy weed growth of
early spring, fall sowing of alfalfa has
not proved as successful as spring SOW
ing. The ground should be plowed
deeply in the fall if possible, MANFRED
and replowed early in the spring.
Where plowed rather late in the spring,
the land should be disced and narrowed
before blowing. If the soil is in the
least sour, from l 200 to 1000 pounds
of unburned lime-ground or in the
lump-should be applied very early in
the spring, or in place of this, from
!
lime may be sown about April first
After the spring blowing the ground
should be frequently narrowed to get
rid of the weeds, conserve the moist
ure and bring the seed bed into a uni
formly fine state of tolth.
The seed should be sown from April
goth to May 1st. Just preceding the
/ GO fhe 81 J
with the alfalfa bacteria by scattering
over the seed bed about 200 pounds per
acre of soil taken from the surface foot
of an old alfalfa field. This alfalfa
soil should be mixed with about 40C
pounds of the surface soil of the new
field to facilitate its even sowing. Tt
avoid exposing the inoculated soil tt
the sunshine, which Injuries it, il
should be sown on a cloudy day OF
towards evening, and Immediately har.
rowed in.
If an acre be once successfully inoc
!. ulated, the next year it will furnish
soil supply for inoculating other land
No faith should be placed in inoculat
ing the soil through the purchase O.
inoculated seed, as under ordinary con
| ditions this method is seldom success
full.
Immediately following the inocula
tion the seed should be sown at tn,
rate of twenty pounds per acre, car,
. being taken to secure pure seed of goo,
! terminating qualities. Termination
may readily be tested by placing al
average 200 of the seed between mois
blotting paper, laid between the face
of two dinner plates and pouring
little water in the lower plate from
, time to time.
The seed may be broadcasted ant
narrowed in, but a more even and Wig
. orous stand is secured, especially i
the surface soil is little dry, by drill
ing one half of the seed at time
crosswise. The ordinary grain drill
may be used with the grass seeder at
tachment so connected as to delive
the seed into the grain tubes. Follow
ing the seeding the ground should b
, rolled well and then very lightly har
, rowed. The seed should always b
sown alone, without a nurse crop o
, any kind.
, The field should be moved wheneve
the weeds begin to shade the alfalfa
) or whenever the growth comes to
/ standstill or begins to turn yellow; o
: when the new shoots of the secon
: growth begin to appear; or when tn
plants show one-tenth in bloom. Tn
l cutter bar should be set about inche
above the ground the first year, an
: the first cuttings, if light, be left upo
) the ground. 1t is imperative that tn
: crop should not be pastured the frs
/ two years.
5 Every year about April first a dress
[ ing of 100 pounds OF land plaste
: should be applied, and while tn
= ground is still soft, thorough cultivs
t tion should be given, with the dis
r harrow set straight and weighted an
} run crosswise, followed by the commo
\ harrow. This cultivation keeps OF
= grass and weeds, splits the alfalf
r crowns and thickens the stand; keeI
e the surface soil mellow and helps cor
h serve the moisture to carry the Gro
\ through the dry months. If the soil
poor a top dressing of we'll rotted ms
a nure applied in the fall will prove Der
: efcial. 1t is well to let the alfalfa g
e into the winter with six or eight-inc
|. growth.
Y In Western Oregon the common v;
f riety of alfalfa should be used, prefer
!. ably Montana grown.
t In pasturing alfalfa, to avoid bloa
S ing, cattle and sheep should not be a
lowed to go on the field with an empt