Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-06
ALFALFA IN WESTERN OREGON.
No Other Crop Offers So Many At-
fractions to the Farmer.

W. S'"S' OSp O"c'S oo mdny Al
fractions to the Farmer.
II. ID. Scudder, Department of Agronomy Orego
Agricultural College. Corvallis.
Of all the crops produced upon tn,
farm perhaps no other offers so many
attractions and advantages to thu
farmer as does alfalfa. As an i'm
proven of the soil it has few equals anc
no superiors AS forage for all classe!
of live stock, whether used as hay
green feed, or pasture, it is unexcelec
in yield, feed value, palatability, anc
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
cultios 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 most skeptical 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, 26
tons of green feed per acre. This field
has the ordinary heavy clay loan soil
typical of the Willamette valley, and
has received no irrigation, 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 ard
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 deep
sandy loan river bottoms well above
the water level. The ordinary valley
ow fiat lands are not suitable.
The deep feeding tap roots upon
whose length these plants depend for
securing plant food and moisture, make
soil eight to ten feet in depth imper-
tive. Although alfalfa prefers a
andy loan, yet it has proved equally
prosperous on the heavy clay loan
oils, heavy clay subsoil or hardpan
elaying but not stopping the root
'rowth.
Owing to the need of its roots for
ir, alfalfa, especially when young and
uring the growing season. is easily
Injured by standing water either above '
below ground. Root growth stops {
t once on striking water saturated {
oil, hence the water table should not {
e less than eight to ten feet below s
1e surface of the ground during the 7
rowing season. Overflow from streams f
winter when the plant is dormant a
pes not cause much injury, even if t
'ntinued for several weeks. S
Ut even more Importance to the ale t
Ilfa plant than deep and we'll r
aimed soil, are the bacteria which
'oduce the nodules on the roots. u
rough which the plant is enabled to s,
aw upon the free atmospheric nitro n
N, enriching the plant and the soil IL
lth this most valuable of all the plant il
cd elements. Conditions unfavorable d
the activities of these bacteria fl
use corresponding lack of prosper
7 in the growth of the alfalfa. Like ii
e plant roots, these bacteria require re-
undance of air in the soil, upon bt
itch to feed, and also a neutral or g
ghtly alkaline medium such as is m
pplied in limestone soils, in which to aN
'rk. bl
Unfortunately the lack of lime in of
estern Oregon soils, in addition to Iii
; prolonged wet season and the pre- ii
ling heaviness of the soil, causes
g exclusion of the air from the soil hs
tendency towards acidity or sour or
IS which is very favorable to the al tn
ia bacteria. Hence it is, perhaps. in
It in majority of Western Oregon or
Is these bacteria are not present. mi
must be supplied by artificial inoc- ia
tion after the harmful acidity has tn
N corrected. This correction is ac- I'M
nplished in naturally well drained 70
Is by application of different forms ro'
lime. Water slaked lime most so
ckly and directly corrects soil acid an
unburned lime more slow
,ut less expensively-while light the
ual dressings with land plaster or