The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-07-22

er Is learning 10 grow. Inc SOILS
best adapted to it in this state are the
bottom lands that are well drained
and the most fertile uplandS. 1t is
useless to attempt to grow it on wet
land and lands that are low in fer
tiliN. II may be grown on practical
ly all well drained uplands of medium
fertility with proper attention to
measuring and methods of handling,
but one must understand the pecu-
PARTIES of the plant to make sue
cess with il on such lands,
The Missouri Agricultural Expert
ment Station has been conducting ex-
periments with alfalfa for number
of years both at Columbia and in a
number of localities in various parts
of the state and from the results of
these experiments it is able to give
the following concise directions re-
garding the handling of the crop.
First. On uplandS the best time to
SOW alfalfa is almost invariably in late
summer or early fall from the 18th
of August to the 18th of September
being best, On rich bottoms or very
fertile uplands spring sowing may
give as good and frequently better re-
suits.
Second. The ground should be
plowed deep as early in the summer
as possible and kept well worked
down by frequent narrowing until
time to sow. One of the best crops
to precede alfalfa is clover, blowing
Immediately after harvesting the first
crop, Late blowing leaves the ground
too loose and causes the plants to
freeze out.
Third. Practically all uplands need
incubation with the nitrogen fixing
bacteria which inhabit the roots of
alfalfa. Bottom lands usually con-
tain these bacteria. incubation is
best accomplished by scattering on
the land from 200 to 400 pounds per
acre of soil from an old alfalfa field
and narrowing Immediately.
Fourth. The seed should be strong
in termination and free from weeds
or dodder and it should be sown at
the rate of Is to 20 pounds per acre
on well prepared seed bed without
a nurse crop and lightly narrowed in.
Fifth. Ii the land is of only med
ium fertility it will beT.necessary to
apply from 8 to II tons of manure
per acre to insure stand and to bring
a sufficient yield to make the stand
profitable.
SIKH. II the grass is troublesome
it may be controlled by cultvating
the land after the second and third
cutting with dull spring tooth har-
row or with disc set at a moderate
angle, following with drag harrow.
There is little danger of iniuring the
alfalfa by such cultivation and the re-
suit will be more thrifty growth of
the plants and the control of the
grass.
Seventh. 1t is almost always best
to begin with a small area of alfalfa,
rarely over five acres, and learn to
handle the crop before attempting
large areas. NJ. F. MILLER,
Agricultural College and Experiment
Station, Columbia, Missouri.
A Successor For Dean Waters.
Columbia, Mo-. July ia Column
bia newspaper says F. B. Mumford,
professor of animal husbandry in the
University of Missouri, will be elect
ed dean of the College of Agriculture
at meeting Of the board of curators
to be held in Kansas City soon. The
executive board has Endorsed Profess
sor Mumford for the place made va
cant by the resignation of Dean Henry
j. Waters, who will become presi-
dent of the Kansas State Agricultural
College.
Professor Mumford has been con-
nected with the College of Agricul-
ture at the University of Missouri
since 1895. For nine years he was
professor of agriculture. For the last
five years he has been at the head of
the animal husbandry department.
He was acting dean of the college
and director of the experiment station
in 1905. Prof. Mumford was born
in Moscow, Mich, May %, 1858. He
is graduate of Albion College and
the College Of Agriculture Of Michi.
gan. He is member of the Ameri.