The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09

Nv w. G.. PALMER.

Alfalfa b TIC III ohAo
crops, the queen among soil lmprov-
ers, the prince among drought resist
ant plants. 1t comes nearer to giving
something for nothing than anything
else on the farm. 1t viii produce
more hay per acre, and hay Of a high
feeding value. While giving that val
liable crop of hay it will at the same
time leave the soil richer in nitrogen
and humus every year that it occupies
the land, and supplies the very things
that the grain crops take out the fast
est and leaves the soil in the greatest
need OF. ST.. the whole story Is not
told, as weeds cannot grow readily
after the alfalfa gets a good stand ana
if they should grow a little the alfalfa
Is cut before h weeds are ripe SO they
cannot go 20 seed. The roots go deep
and SO open up the soil better than
the subsoiler. The one disadvantage
in growing alfalfa is that it is a little
difficult to start; so when a good stand
is secured it ought to be left for sew
eral years. 1t is not a good rotation
crop like clover. This is really nc
great draw pack though, as it will pro-
luce a crop hat is worth more than
any other crop that can be grown.
Alfalfa will grow on any good soil
thai is well drained; in sand it will
not do so well, Inc hard pan inter
feres with it's root growth. Standing
water is death to it. When starting
alfalfa it must be kept in mind that
alfalfa has bacteria living In nodules
On it's roots. These germs furnish
the plant with nitrogen which they
take from the soil air. They put it
into a form that the plant can use n
so supply the alfalfa with the nitrogen
trat it needs and more too. The al
falfa plant has in a measure lost the
power Of taking nitrogen from tho
sCil as the other crops do, SO it can
not make much growth alone. 1t in
turn furnishes the germs with food Of
a different kind so it is a cooperative
affair, each furnishing that which it
can secure the easiest.
When the alfalfa, is starting it does
not w the germs on it's roots and
SO is very delicate and must be given
good care. The best way to do that
is to get some soil from a field that
has been growing alfalfa successfully
for a few years and SOW it on the new
field at the rate of zoo pounds per
acre.
The best way to prepare the soil is
To for a crop Of corn-ciean
cultivate the corn-then SOW the al
falfa on the disced corn stubble, put
ting in eight to ten pounds per acre
and with the drill SO as to get the
seed buried, one to two inches-do not
SOW any nurse crop with it. A bare
faliow that has been kept free from
weeds will also be a good preparation,
as Will also potato ground. But in
any case it should be MANFRED. When
the alfalfa is up eight to ten inches it
should be cut back. This will o
hurt the alfalfa; in fact will do it good
but will be hard on the weeds. The
amour of seed wv should vary with
the rainfall; under irrigation, or where
the rainfall is abundant, more seed
than specified above should be sown.
L has been found by experiments that
where the plants were nine inches
apart three cuttings were secured in
1910 and the yield was nearly 2 IL
tons, while where the plants were on;.
two inches apart only one cutting of
about half a ton was secured. In
digging out the roots it was found
that where the plants were far apart
the roots went down seven to eight
feet while in the case Of the plants
thai were close together the roots did
net &C down more than three feet.
THE AUTO AND GOOD ROADS.