The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-03-02
DRY FARM ALFALFA
Secret Of Art 10 Accumulation Of
Sufficient Moisture.
Tsth os soll =, Tlms of Piowlns Mat
ters Nothing. bus 81 Tlms ef
Planting u Matssrs Every-
thlna-Tlme TO Plant.

CBy n n PARSONS. PcrkeF. coD
The art Of raising alfalfa without ir'
rigation IL TO accumulate sufficient
moisture In the subsoil and then set
the roots down into u. Two 10 three
feet OF moisture win carry the al
faifa a whole year and insure a stand
whether Il rains or not by plowing
In the fall ten inches deep we can
usually conserve this amount of
moisture by sprinstime. But for those
who plow only slx or seven inches
deep Il IL better 10 fallow tho land
q whole year.
Dry year plowing in the fall. a. I
explained In n previous paper. Is not
detrimental. provided the ground Ia
not planted until spring. The tilth Of
the soil at time Of plowing matters
nothing. but at time Of planting Il
matters everything.
The best time to plant In usually
about the goth OF April Late plant.
ing IL dangerous for all small seeds
which have to be planted near the sur.
face. for In hot weather the top inch
or two dies out very quickly. and n
the seeds sprout and tho next rain is
too long In coming the whole stand
may die out before the rootlo,s can
reach the wet dirt down below.
II can be seeded broadcast by hand
or drilled. but the solid wheel drill is
not as good for the purpose aa the
split wheel. which I am glad 10 see
they are commencing 10 manufacture
for all purposes. The split wheel
leaves an unpaeked streak In the seed
row for the young sprouts TO come
through and obviates the necessity
Of forcing their way through a crust
which 10 a great advantage when the
rains are few and far between Ten
pounds TO the acre 10 good amount
20 plant.
In 1908 we had two feet four inches
Of moist soil to start with. We
planted April .Si a soft snow May
brought II up. light rain May ID
helped Il along. then II turned dry and
did not rain again until July 20. q
total OF ten weeks drought. The al
faifa grew about ak inches high, and
we had a fine stand. We cut. weeds
and all. In August, leaving II on the
ground.
Alfalfa can be planted In rows and
cultivated az often an necessary. bu
when planted In the ordinary way 4
can be cultivated four times In tht
season. which is as often as the gen
eral run Of farmers will cultivate any
thing. The first year Il can be lightly
narrowed In the fall or n not yer,
large II can be left alone. for II !
lives until August II viii hold It's owl
anyway. The next spring II can b
narrowed. before sprouting and aftel
each cutting. After the second yea
the disk may be used. cutting doel
or shallow. according to the size o
the planta.
Farmers sometimes complain tha
after a year or two their alfalfa die
out. There are two reasons for this
One is shallow soil with q poor sui
soil; the other is not conservinI
enough moisture at the start to ALLOW
the roots to penetrate deeply enougl
into the subsoil to become thorough,
established. The idea IL this, after
crop 10 started II uses up about al
the moisture as Il comes and there
very little left over, II there is no n
serve OF moisture accumulated befor
planting the subsoil never become
saturated and the roots can never ge
into Il. The alfalfa is living fror
hand to mouth aud the frst dry wi,
ter knocks II out.
II Ia the same with any crop. Tn
normal length OF the roots Of srna
grain. for instance. II somewheF
about four feet. but n a man VIII
never conserves moisture plows onl
six inches. his subeoil II bound TO b
dry. tho roots do not so into Il an
he IL trying 10 grow a fourfoot ROD
In q slx.inch space.