The Dickinson press., 1911-04-22
SOILS FOR ALFALFA
Should Be Flowed Deep In Fall
and Heavily MANFRED.
Unless Careful Attention 10 Given 70
All Details Danger Of Failure 10
ossA4yy lnoroasedeAdvlsabie
% Prepare eeed Bed We'll.

nv I 2. HDown14. Asriexltur.st. o.
Z. Department Of AsIaeufturs)
It 10 q dimoult matter, 70 grow al.
fAlfA SUCCESSFULLY IN most parts Of
North Dakota, but unless careful a.
tentton 70 given TO a-fsw details the
danger Of failure u erea4ly increased.
The purpose q this article ID to point
out q few Of the things that should BE-
done In order to insure success.
Al alfalfa u Z crop that 10 likely to
give satisfactory returns for many
years without %re-seeding, it IL always
sdvisable to prepare the seed bed a.
we'll as possible. When the seed ID
to be sown in the spring, tho land
should be heavily MANFRED and
plowsd deep the previous fall. Spring
blowing often gives good results, but
alfalfa prefers a firm seed bed. II the
blowing II done in the spring, some
means should be taken to firm the
seed bed before sowing. Whether the
blowing IS to be done in the fall or
spring, and no matter at what time
the seed is to be sown, the land
should always be heavily MANFRED.
The purpose In manuring, Is not 80
much to enrich the soil for the al
falfa as 1t Ia to furnish a medium In
which the alfalfa bacteria develop
rapidly. In this way the manure
greatly assists In inoculating the al
falfa. If the manure is well incor-
porated In the soil, it will add much
to it's water holding capacity, and as
alfalfa .is a great lover Of moisture,
the moisture of the soil humus often
insures heavy yields where there
would otherwise be failure.
IN most sections of the states east
of the Mississippi river the soil needs
lime, but this Is not generally true Of
the soils Of the Dakotas. As yet our
soils are not often acid, but 1t can do
no harm to have them tested for
acidity and make sure they do not re.
quire lining. II lime is to be used 1t
is best to apply it in the fall unless
1t is in the form Of ground limestone
rock, in which case it may be applied
at any time. Where lime is needed at
all 1t Is usually advisable to use from
n to two tons per acre, and to har-
row It In on the plowed surface.
As early in the spring as it will do
to work the land, the surface should
be stirred with a disk harrow 80 as to
form a mulch to conserve moisture.
A second narrowing with the disk
should take place as soon as the
weeds have made a fair start. This
will be about the time the farmer has
finished sowing his grain. Now is the
ideal time to SOW alfalfa in n or
binary year. While alfalfa, may be.
sown with success at almost any Pc
Rod from the time the snow goes of
in the spring until the first Of eeptem-
Der, providing moisture conditions are
right, there Is nc better time to SOW
1t than just after finishing the seed
ing of the spring grain crops.
A light crop of barley may do no
harm In wet seasons, but alfalfa Is
more certain to be successful when
sown alone. If barley is to be sown
as a nurse crop, 1t should be sown at
the rate Of not mor than three pecks
to one bushel per acre, and If the
season is dry the barley should be cut
for hay.
To determine whether or not al
AlRa in the Dakotas needs to be in.
oeulated, I have examined dozens Of
fields. and have found all of them In
oculated in whole or in part; but I
would strongly advise inoculating all
soil on which alfalfa has never been
grown. The best way to inoculate is
to get soil from IN old alfalfa field
that is well i%noculated. and apply it