The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1909-05-06
ALFALFA IN WESTERN OREGON
No Other Crop Offers So Many At
fractions to the Farmer.
a. D. Scudder. Department Of Astronomy, Oregon
ARr. cultural %. eye. Co1----li-

farmer as does alfalfa. AS an i'm
proven of tie 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
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 NEST skcptical 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, &c
tons of green feed per acre. This field
has the ordinary heavy clay loan soil
typical of the Willamette valley, and
has received no irrigat on, 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-
hooves the beginner to secure the best
advice obtainable as to methods of
growing; start with a 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 arc
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 deer
sandy loan 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 foi
securing plant food and moisture, maxi
soil eight to ten feet in depth imper
alive. Although alfalfa prefers
sandy loan, yet Il has proved equal,
! prosperous on the heavy clay loan
soils, heavy clay subsoil or hardpal
delaying but not stopping the roo
growth.
Owing to the need of its roots 70
air, alfalfa, especially when young an
during the growing season. is easil
injured by standing water either abov
or below ground. Root growth stop
= at once on striking water saturate
t soil, hence the water table should no
: be less than eight to ten feet beloy
: the surface of the ground during tn
growing season. Overflow from stream
in winter when the plant is dorman
does not cause much injury, even
continued for several weeks.
| 6 g. II
falfa plant than a deep and well
drained soil, are the bacteria whic
produce the nodules on the roots
through which the plant is enabled t
draw upon the free atmospheric nitro
, gen, enriching the plant and the sol
: with this most valuable of all the plan
, food elements. Conditions unfavorabl
| to the activities of these bacteri
cause a corresponding lack of prosper
ity in the growth of the alfalfa. Lik
: the plant roots, these bacteria requir
> abundance of air in the soil, upo
which to feed, and also a neutral O
slightly alkaline medium such as
supplied in limestone soils, in which
work.
I |
Western Oregon soils, in addition I
the prolonged wet season and the pre-
: vailing heaviness of the soil, cause
: long exclusion of the air from the so
: and tendency towards acidity or SOU
: ness which is very favorable to the a
|, falfa bacteria. Hence it is, perhap,
{ that in a majority of Western Orego
I | l.
!. and must be supplied by artificial inc,
: ulation after the harmful acidity ha
: been corrected. This correction is a.
o complished in naturally well draine
?. soils by application of different form
4 of lime. Water slaked lime mo.
: quickly and directly corrects soil aciC
ity-ground unburned lime more SLOW
ly but less expensively-while ligl
: annual dressings with land plastG
keep it sweet (more or less indirectly
by making the heavy soils more ope
and friable. The land plaster also a
!, sists in making potash compounds fl
which alfalfa has great need, moi
available, but to avoid loss throng
teaching should be used only in sma
:, amounts.
= The need of a fertile soil for alfall
. growing, while not generally recogni
ed, is highly important. Though Il
plant draws its most important foo,
u nitrogen, from the air, yet it is hea,
feeder upon the other plant foods
IS the soil. On naturally unfertile soil
IS or those run down by continued whei
or other improvident farming, it
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