The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-04-01
HOW TO SOW ALFALFA CROP
Professor Nelson Gives the Method of
Preparing the Soil For This
Valuable Crop

NdUpd ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In view of the fact that a large
amount of alfalfa will be sown in the
vicinity this spring, we reproduce an
article on Seeding Alfalfa" by Elias
Nelson, superintendent of the auxili-
airy station at Caldwell.
Good preparation of the land for
planting is important. The soil should
be quite firm and should have a
mulch of loose soil an inch and a
half or two inches deep over the sur
face. Fall blowing will insure suffi-
cient packing of the soil and in the
spring the surface can be worked up
into a good seed bed. The early cul-
tivation should begin as soon in
spring as the ground can be worked
and be continued to conserve moist
ure until danger of heavy freezing
is over, when seeding may be done.
There should be sufficient moisture
in the soil to bring up the alfalfa and
neep it growing until it is eight to
ten inches high when water may be
applied if needed. With spring plow-
ing 1t Is difficult to get seed bed
firm enough and one that will retain
moisture well enough for best re-
suits. The soil will be too loose and
will dry out quickly. 1t is therefore
advisable when the land is plowed in
spring to irrigate before seeding, pro-
vided there has not been an album
dance of rain. Alfalfa may be start
ed at any time during the season un-
til as late as August or even Septem-
Der, provided the land is irrigated be-
forehand. In some localities where
early fall frosts occur seeding in Sep
TENDER may not be practicable.
For best results the seeding should
be tolerably early in spring. The par
ticular time will depend upon the alti-
tude and the local climatic conditions.
A few degrees of frost will do no seri-
GUS injury but heavy frost is likely
to kill alfalfa when just out of the
ground.
If the seed bed is in perfect condi-
tion and drill be used, eight to
twelve pounds of first grade seed
per acre should be sufficient for a
good stand.
The use of seeder that sows in
drills and covers the seed is to be
recommended as the seeds are cover
ed and each seed is given an equal
chance for termination with every
other. A drill with press wheels at
tached Is also desirable The seed
should be sown shallow-from one
half inch to two inches deep. If drill
Is not to be had the alfalfa may be
broad-casted and narrowed in. The
author has seen very good stands
from broadcasting with the wheel
barrow seeder. Drilling, however. is
the bette method.
Seeding without nurse crop will
give best results. Especially is this
true on raw sage brush land that has
not been in alfalfa before. Sown
alone the alfalfa will make fairly
good growth the first year and under
favorable conditions may make light
crop. 1t will become we'll establish
ed and yield we'll the second year.
When sown with nurse crop on new
land is generally makes but a spind-
ling growth the first year and does
not produce root system and a
grow strong enough to enable it to
make good returns the second year.
Thus seeding with a nurse crop is
not good practice. at least not on
new land. as the nurse crop does not
make up for the loss in yield of al
falfa the second year.
On land that has been in alfalfa
once and is in good filth seeding with
nurse crop is allowable and may
give good results. The grain should
be sown at the proper time in spring.
but seeding of alfalfa should be de-
layed Just before the first irrigation
AT that time broad cast and harrow 1t
IN. If the furrow system of irrigation
Is employed run the harrow with the
burrows so as not to fill them up.
The seeding of alfalfa and the first
irrigation must of course take place
before the grain gets too high. When
ksown in this way the irrigation water
3can be applied according as the grain
Prop may require while if sown to-
gether with the nurse crop it may be
I'm need of irrigation earlier than is
ordinarily beneficial for grain.
n When the soil is light and heavy
winds are prevalent it is necessary
~ seed with a nurse crop as n pro-
.-Htion against the wind. One-half
,r two-thirds the seed used when
he grain is sown alone should be
rsed.
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