Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-06-04
ALFALFA IN WESTERN OREGON.
No Other Crop Offers So Many At
fractions to the Farmer.

OF all the crops produced upon the
farm perhaps no other offers so many
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
a certain extent is true, yet the diff
culties 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
the crop here, those recorded at the
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 a soiling crop, 1858
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-
hoovss 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 alfalfa
are a deep, we'll drained, sweet and
fertile soil, free from weeds. The
lands most nearly meeting these re-
quirements are on the slopes of the
rolling lands of the valley bottoms
the slopes and tops of the hills sur
rounding these valleys, or the deeE
sandy loam river bottoms we'll above
the water level. The ordinary valley
low fiat lands are not suitable.
The deep feeding tap roots upor
whose length these plants depend fol
securing plant food and moisture, make
soil eight to ten feet in depth imper
ative. Although alfalfa prefers 6
sandy loan, yet it has proved equally
prosperous on the heavy clay loan
soils, heavy clay subsoil or hardpar
delaying but not stopping the roo
growth.
Owing to the need of its roots fol
air, alfalfa, especially when young anc
during the growing season. is easily
injured by standing water either above
or below ground. Root growth stop.
at once on striking water-saturatec
soil, hence the water table should moi
be less than eight to ten feet below
the surface of the ground during the
growing season. Overflow from streams
in winter when the plant is dormant
does not cause much injury, even il
continued for several weeks.
Of even more Importance to the al.
falfa plant than. deep and well
drained soil, are the bacteria which
produce the nodules on the roots,
through which the plant is enabled tc
draw upon the free atmospheric nitro.
gen, enriching the plant and the soil
with this most valuable of all the plant
food elements. Conditions unfavorable
to the activities of these bacteria
cause a corresponding lack of prosper
ity in the growth of the alfalfa. Like
the plant roots, these bacteria require
abundance of air in the soil, upon
which to feed, and also neutral or
slightly alkaline medium such as is
supplied in limestone soils, in which to
work.
Unfortunately the lack of lime in
Western Oregon soils, in addition to
the prolonged wet season and the pre-
vailing heaviness of the soil, causes
long exclusion of the air from the soil
and a tendency towards acidity or sour
ness which is very favorable to the al
falfa bacteria. Hence it is, perhaps,
that in majority Of Western Oregon
soils these bacteria are not present,
and must be supplied by artificial inoc-
ulation after the harmful acidity has
been corrected. This correction is ac-