Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1910-08-26
GREAT VALUE Of
ALFALFA CROP
ONE-nALF MILLION Tons OF Al
FALFA HAY WILL BIZ RAISED
On CAREY ACT LAND.

Upon the Carey acl tracts Of
Southern Idaho, one-half million
tons Of alfalfa hay will be raised
this year ana the value Of hay in
the stack at this time is IS a ton.
This shows the productiveness OF
The land in tonnage and the value of
alfalfa as a feed product.
It is a fact that alfalfa fed to
either sheep, hogs, cattle or dairy
COWS is worth from so to sl5 a
ton. according to the kind Of stock
fed. If more Of the farmers of
Southern Idaho would feed alfalfa
hay to live stick on the farm, the
price Of alfalfa hay would be a
fixed cne. and the fertility of Tho
soil would not only be retained but
increased at least twenty-five per
cent. There is no plant known to
the farmers of today of so much
value as alfalfa and which has dof,
more to keep the irrigated lands Of
the west in such high productive
state and bring the VOrn-out soils
of the east back to producing good
crops wherever it has been culti-
yated.
Il has been demonstrated by the
farmers of Southern Idaho that tw
times as much oats. wheat ana bar
ley can be raised ON the land after
il hes been in alfalfa for few
years. over land that has been crop
ped to grain from the first.
Alfalfa should lie the base of all
rotations in any farming commnn-
itv. lis value in the building up
and maintaining the fertility of our
soils in Southern Idaho Is unlimit-
ed.
Some of the farmers do not seem
to get good stand of alfalfa the
first year. end in great many
eases it. is laid to the seed not be-
ing fertile. To some extent this IS
true. but the main drawback Is tha
it is not properly taken care OF
during its early growth. due to the
lack of moisture. In preparing the
land for alfalfa, the land should be
thoroughly plowed and leveled and
good seed bed prepared. On some
of the more or less rolling lands,
and where more or less leveling Is
to be cone. it is a good plan to seed
to either spring or fall grains before
planting to alfalfa. In this way If
leveling has been done. 1t
can be put in first class shape be-
fore seeding TO alfalfa the following
season and the excess cost of lrri-
eating on poorly leveled land can
ijt avoided.
II is question in the mind of
nearly all of the new farmers COM
ing into this section, whether it is
best to SOW alfalfa alone or with
some other grain crop. Ii has
been demonstrated to the full salts
faction of nearly all the farmers
who have sown alfalfa with oats |
that it does not pay. inasmuch as a |
good crop of alfalfa can't be raised |
and sewn with grain crop on raw I
lands. and the best success has.be /
attained by seeding to alfalfa alone.
Alfalfa can either be planted on /
soils that has been irrigated before /
planting or in the dry soils. Good |
success has been attained in both /
Ways. Young alfalfa in its early
growth should be kept moist at ali
ines. That is. one irrigation
should follow another up until
hree irligations have been given.
I'he firSi. irrigation only terminates
he seed and brings it up. but does
lot give it enough root to stand an
brought and the two following irri-
cations will put it into a healthy
with a good root system.
To new farmers as we'll as the
lid, alfalfa should be planted first
md last and should be at all times
lsed as base of all rotation. II
his is practiced the greatest sue
ess that is or could he attained by
my of the farming communities of
he west will he attained by the
armers of Southern Idaho.
j. L. MCPHERSON.
OF Agriculture. for
Idaho Irrigation Company.