Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-21

recent article J. V. Ropp. associate pro-
fessor Of agronomy. South Dakota Expert
mental station. told Of the work that has
been done IN South Dakota. Il Is interest
ing
south Dakota has demonstrated that its
soils and climate are adapted to produce
plants In many respects. Tho production
and steady increase has kept stride with
the development Of the country and in
some localities has outstripped IL. 80 that
in some regions more is produced than Is
needed for consumption and is baled and
exported 20 other markets. The acreage
Ia being gradually pushed out Of the region
Of the james river and out Of the Black
Hills into that area which was thought,
until few years ago, only ut for stock
raising.
'Bountful crops have been produced In
the Black Hills without irrigation, Yields
Of two to three and one-half tons not being
uncommon. Farther east OF this section
the crops are somewhat lighter. the aver
age being from one to two tons per acre.
Alfalfa seed.
Within the last few years however. a
new industry has sprung up. that Of grow
ing alfalfa for its seed. Phenomenal yields
have been secured which are not surpassed
In any other section OF the country. In
stances have been known where II yielded
twelve bushels Of seed per acre and an
! average Of from six to eight bushels are
quite common. This crop is grown after
harvesting the first cutting for hay and
what this industry will mean for South
Dakota can be easily surmlsed. Such fields
have been seeded from five to ten years
] There are, however some fields which
have stood for twenty-five years and are
still giving profitable yields yet the bes
/ fields are those seeded recently.
! Alfalfa has tendency to become thinner
in stand as the fields grow older. This car
| be accounted for IN part by the fact thai
very few growers give their fields any
treatment. l am Of the opinion that ar
alfalfa harrow or disk used judiclously
would lessen this tendency and thus pro
/ long the life Of the field.
/ Winter killing seems TO be the result OF
neglect or mlstreatment OF the field rather
than to the plant being unable to endur,
the ordinary climatic changes. Well careC
for fields have stood the seasonal varia
lions OF temperature and moisture very
well. Wherever alfalfa stands In Low
spots, where the soil is poorly drained, IL
death is only a matter Of a short time
Where irrigated. low spots must first b,
drained, otherwise no alfalfa need be ex
pected under such conditions. Instances
can be shown also where a field was Gu
too late in the season. So that the plant
did not have time to recover before beinl
subjected to harsh weather; and invari
ably the field would be killed and fail t
resume its growth in the spring.
Must he Cultivated.
Lack of cultivation permits the weed
to make their appearance. Were the field
disked, influx of weeds could at least b.
partially checked. Cultivation answers
threefold purpose; that of killing weeds
splitting the alfalfa crown and conserving
moisture Where the stand has beeom
thin it has been renewed by permitting tn
few plants to seed then dlsking this seet
in Heavy stands have thus resulted.
ITO the prospective grower, as we'll a
those who have already made a success
Of 1t, a few timely hints may be Of value
In the first place it is absolutely essentia
to select good field. A hard and fas
rule may be~set down and that is "Alfalf
win not stand wet feet" The soil must
therefore be well drained at all times
for standing water will kill it before any
thing else. A soil that is loamy or claye
in texture is better suited than sand an
is given preference. Where sandy soil ma