The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1909-02-11
ALFALFA RAISING.
Interesting Paper Given BY f. Lee
Johnson, ut Institute.


The farmer of today is far in advance
OF the generation before him. He has
prof1ted by the failures as we'll as the
successes that stand out boldly to the
man who looks to see. Farming today
IS more OF science, as well as bust
ness, and the man who follows it sue
cessfully stands on a higher plane
than in the past who followed it mere
ly as an occupation and was farming
for the simple reason that he did not
know enough to do anything else.
The farmer today is studying to
raise the maximum in crops and to
make his farm better, instead of taking
all he could force from his land re-
CARELESS OF the future. He is studying
plant life and crop rotation as never
before, and we find that in many sec
tions the farm lands produce abundant
crops year after year, and their own
ers are prosperous and independent.
we lind that among these farmers
certain crops play the important parts
in their business, and that they rely
upon them to not only produce an in
come from each seasons crop, but to
increase the profits in those that fol-
!. low, and we find these two plants
stand out boldly as in class by them
; selves-alfalfa and clover.
} throughout most of this section of
the country more alfalfa is raised than
clover, but in few places, indeed, does
RED clover seem to be more thoroughly
: at home, being easily raised and pro-
duces abundant crops and the best of
. hay, when not grown for pasture
or alfalfa it can be said that it is
the most important and most profit
able crop grown in the irrigated west.
: Our deep, strong soils seems to be the
!. natural home for the enormous root
} growth of this drowth resisting plant
> That it is being appreciated more as it
becomes better know, is shown by the
. fact that each year shows greater
: acreage, and more care is taken with
both plant and product
A great future is dawning today for
: this wonderful plant it is to feed both
: master and beast 1t will make the
bread and butter, the meat and cloth
ing and produce the wealth that will
, make the section of country it calls it's
: home the foremost of our nation. 1t
: is to supplant the great ranges of our
land which are fading away Only a
!. few more years and their glory and
: successes, their dreams and railisties
|. will be things Of the past, and over the
: land where once the cattle baron ruled
: supreme, today numberless homes are
!. being made prosperous, and by far
: better stock is being bred and raised
J. on the farm than on the range, through
: the medium of alfalfa, which is point
: ing the way to success and wealth tC
i the present-day stockman.
! SEEDING.
Our soil is of such a nature that any
!: kind of preparation will get some kline
!. Of stand of either alfalfa or clover, blu
we should not let this fact keep Vi
from putting our land in good shap,
}. and doing it as near right as possible
!. remembering that one days work will
= good team and leveler saves week
) work with a shovel each season, ant
much patience and water.
Thus far most of our fields hav
been seeded alone and for new LAM
this is the best, but on land that ha
been cropped several seasons, success
full seeding has been done with grain
While some prefer sowing alone OF
unplOwed stubble, this is often the bes
method on sandy soil. Ten pound O.
seed per acre may be termed average
seeding, while a few claim from Is tt
Is pounds are needed. Notwithstand
ing the fact that many first-class
stands have been obtained from to
pounds, and some of our best farmers
claim that if more seed is needed
there is something wrong with either
the seed, the land or the man.
The wheel-barrow seeder is the best
followed with a light narrowing. IT.
rigating corrugations should be from
20 to "a inches apart, only large
enough to carry the head Of water de-
sired, and run on such a grade that
the water can stay in them to the end
Don't run up and down hill thinking
the water will follow, for there is
plenty of evidence that it will not. Put
it in early enough so it will not have to
be watered up, if possible. If planted
early and clipped when from to 10
inches high, light crop can be had
the first year.
Many farmers have found out that
by watering their fields before cutting
and letting the ground dry enough to
work over nicely, that it makes the
hay more soft, keeps the leaves on bet
ter and the next crop starts quicker II
Is also fact that early cutting seems
to check the growth less in the plant
thus hurrying along the following
crop, which means great deal. II
can often be raked the same day 1t is
cut, followed by punching or shocking
and let 1t cure in the shock. No mat
ter what is the method OF stacking, dc
the work with the fact in mind that
you are after the leaves. Save them
They contain money. Put 1t up in sin
gle stacks If you want to save your hay
and remember that one ton of hay In
a good feed rack is worth two or three
fed in the mud. Feed racks don't cost
mOney-they save it.
The most important point to be con
sidered in making alfalfa or clover hay
is its feeding value at different stages
1t is q we'll known fact that protein Ii
an essential element in the food 81
both man and beast, and that both o.
these plants rank high In the produc
tinn of nrotain which nlaya the great