The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-05-05
N R q the mi len o
BY dssovin granuatd sugar in waite d
Wm Hu
IL
- grocer

by making the heavy soils more open
and friable. The land plaster also as
sists in making potash compounds for
which alfalfa has great need, more
available, but to avoid loss through
teaching should be used only in small
amounts.
The need of fertile soil for alfalfa
growing, while not generally recogniz-
ed, is highly important. Though the
plant draws its most important food,
nitrogen, from the air, yet it is a heavy
feeder upon the other plant foods of
the soil. On naturally unfertile soils,
or those run down by continued wheat
or other improvident farming, it is
necessary to supply Immediately avail
able plant food such as well rotted barn.
yard manure, to carry the young
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 preced-
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 preced
ing alfalfa with thoroughly cultivat-
ed crop such as kale, corn, potatoes,
or roots, all of which do best heavily
/ manured, the ground is made clean and
fertile for the alfalfa.
/ The causes of failure to secure a
, stand of alfalfa are generally a poorly
: prepared seed bed, poor seed, or the
: wrong time or method of seeding. The
n causes of the failure of the crop to
: grow after good stand has been Sc
: cured, are either lack of alfalfa bac-
It terra, the need of lime, pasturing when
f too young, an impoverished soil, over
: crowding with weeds, a shallow soil,
s poor drainage, lack of cultivation, oi
n improper after treatment. A cror
j. properly started and cared for shoulc
q produce steadily without reseeding fol
fifty years or more.
a Owing to the excessive rainfall o.
d winter and the heavy weed growth o.
le early spring, fall sowing of alfalfa hal
g. not proved as successful as spring SOW
,e ing. The ground should be plowec
3: deeply in the fall if possible, manureC
r and replowed early in the spring
IN Where plowed rather late in the spring
We the land should be disced and harrowe
~ before plowing. If the soil is in tn
least sour, from 1000 to 1000 pound
on of unburned Underground or in tn
or lump-should be applied very early j
ke the spring, or in place of this, fror
r. 500 to 1000 pounds of water slake
a lime may be sown about April first
ly After the spring blowing the groun
I'M should be frequently narrowed to &c
an rid of the weeds, conserve the mois
ot ure and bring the seed bed into a un
formly fine state of tolth.
'or The seed should be sown from Apr
nd Goth to May 1st. Just preceding tn
iIv sowing the land should be inoculate
We with the alfalfa bacteria by scatterin
ms over the seed bed about 200 pounds p'
ed acre of soil taken from the surface 70,
,ot of an old alfalfa field. This alfali
NV soil should be mixed with about Al
he pounds of the surface soil of the ne
ms field to facilitate its even sowing.
mt avoid exposing the lnoculated SOIL
if the sunshine, which Injuries it,
should be sown on a cloudy day
al. towards evening, and Immediately ha
all rowed in.
ich If an acre be once successfully inc
ts. ulated, the next year it will furnish
to soil supply for inoculating other Ian
ro- No faith should be placed in inoculs
,oil ing the soil through the purchase
ant inoculated seed, as under ordinary &C
BILE ditions this method is seldom succel
ria full.
,er- Immediately following the inocu
ike tion the seed should be sown at t
lire rate of twenty pounds per acre, CO
non being taken to secure pure seed of &c
or terminating qualities. Germinati
8 is may readily be tested by placing
, to average 200 of the seed between mo
blotting paper, laid between the fa'
. in of two dinner plates and pouring
, to little water in the lower plate fir
pre- time to time.
lses The seed may be broadcasted 9
soil narrowed in, but more even and v
,ur- orous stand is secured, especially
al the surface soil is little dry, by DIR
ans ing one half of the seed at tir
CON crosswise. The ordinary grain d
ent may be used with the grass seeder
noe tachment 30 connected as to deli
has the seed into the grain tubes. Foll'
ac- ing the seeding the ground should
med rolled well and then very lightly }
rms rowed. The seed should always
most sown alone, without nurse cror
cid any kind.
low The field should be moved whene
ioht the weeds begin TO shade the alfa
ster or whenever the growth comes
.tlvl standstill or begins to turn yellow