The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-17
WATER FOR ALFALFA
Saturated Soil Is Something the
Plant Cannot Withstand.
Care Should Be Taken Not to Apply
So Much Moisture That 1t Is
Raised and the Feeding Of the
Roots Restricted.

The alfalfa plant as we know roots
deeply and can draw moisture from
considerable depth and thus will not
suffer SO quickly as other crops as it
can draw upon the reserve in the deep.
er soil. We know that alfalfa roots
penetrate no deeper than the water
table which should teach us that sat
urated soil is uncongenial and some
thing which alfalfa cannot Withstand.
We should therefore avoid such excess
sive irrigation as will keep the soil
saturated. In a general way we may
say that the desirable condition Is
that of half air and half water in the
soil. The closer we can approach to
this the better. Irrigation therefore
means replenishing the moisture con-
tents of the soil to such depth OF
subsoil as is permeable and stopping
the irrigation SO as not to saturate the
soil through and through.
Where the water table Is liable to
be affected by irrigation care should
be taken not to apply SO much that
it is raised and the feeding area of the
roots in that way restricted. Over
irrigation will aggravate or cause wa
terlogging of the soil and the attend
ing accumulations of alkali. Where
ground water Is within two feet of the
surface as on some river bottoms al
falfa does not thrive and generally
dies In from three to four years.
There are localities in foot hill dis
tricts where seepage from the noun
tains supplies enough moisture SO that
very little or no irrigation is required.
At the higher attitudes water is ap-
piled from one to four tines the num-
Der depending upon conditions, and
two cuttings are harvested. At lower
attitudes there are from three to five
or even Elk irrigations and the alfalfa
is cut three times. On soils that are
not readily permeable to irrigation wa
ter, and therefore have small storage
capacity more than three irrigations
are necessary. Generally on such
soils there are two irrigations before
the first crop is cut, two irrigations
between the first and second cuttings
and but one between the second and
third. The irrigations are SO timed
that the second irrigation comes few
days before the first cutting and the
fourth just before the second cutting.
The alfalfa is cut as soon after those
irrigations as the surface of the soil
has dried enough SO that the moving
can be done. This will be in from
four to seven days. BY irrigating in
this way before cutting moisture is
supplied to give the next crop start.
1t also delays blooming and increases
the period during which alfalfa is
in proper condition to cut, thus in
fact lengthening the cutting period
where large fields are to be harvested.
Alfalfa natures quicker when the soil
is dry and If in that condition when
being cut some Of it will get too far
along before 1t is moved to make good
hay. r
Besides the irrigations mentioned
water is generally applied in the fall
in order that the fields may not go
into winter dry. That has been found
beneficial.
The amount Of water required by al
falfa for the season will range from Is
to 80 inches in depth or IN to 21a
acrefeet per acre. An average Of
about six inches in depth or half an
acrefoot per acre is applied at one
irrigation Our impervious soils will
absorb no more than four inches in
depth.
Alfalfa to have the highest feeding
value should be cut when 1t first be-
gins to bloom or at the stage when
about one-tenth Is in bloom. If cut
at that time the next crop will make
quicker start than II the alfalfa Is
allowed to become mature. The
leaves also will stay on better II it is
cut early. If there Is considerable
acreage to be cut begin cutting before
the alfalfa has reached the proper
stage. Before the cutting Is complet.
ed the proper stage will have passed.
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