Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-05-16
ALFALFA GROWS WELL
RED HILL FERN LAND PRODUCES
FINE CROP OF FORAGE.
ID. ID. Peters Makes Success of It
On His Farm Near
Dallas.

An object lesson in higher or in
tensified farming has been on exhibi-
ton at Ray & Company's store lately
in the form of two immenes bunches
of alfalfa. that were grown on the
farm of d. d. Peters, located on the
Smithfield road, a short distance from
Dallas. Both are fine examples of the
value of the plant for forage pur-
poses, and furnish palpable proof
that the agricultural experts knew
they urged the farmers of this district
| to sow the red hills to alfalfa. AL
though cut in April, one of the bunch
es was 16 inches in length, and the
other, which had not been cut this
year, was 81 inches long and weighed
12 pounds. In taking it out of the
ground part of the tap root was
broken off, but what remained meas
ured five feet in length and was as
large around at the base as a mans
wrist. After seeing what large roots
the plant has, it does not seem strange
that it is enabled to grow where other
grasses would either dry out or starve
to death.
LlIxuriant Growth.
The punches were taken from a
one-acre patch which Mr.. Peters is
growing among young walnut trees
The seed was sown three years ago as
an experiment on ordinary red fern
hill land, and a sight of the luxuriant
mass of green food that is now grow
ing there would convince any one
very quickly that it is a success. A
representative of the Observer who
waded through it a few days ago
found many stalks of alfalfa that just
came even with the top of a two-foot
square. Throughout the whole of it |
the average height was about II
inches. The comparative growth and
abundance of the alfalfa was conclu-
sively shown by a strip of common |
grasses growing alongside of it and |
which did not average more than 8
inches.
This successful result is not due to
any particular mode of culture. The
seed was sown at the rate of about 20
pounds to the acre. When the plants
came up they were very scattering,
but by degrees have spread until now
the whole surface of the ground is
covered. The best stand and growth
was obtained on a spot where a chaff
pile had been allowed to decay and
which was later plowed under. On
several spots where the growth was
the effects were so good that he be-
lieves that it is an excellent plan to
follow in getting a field started
Not InOculated.
The soil was not inoculated, but an
field was given a sowing of
soil brought from an old
alfalfa field on the agricultural ex-
pertinent station farm at Corvallis.
While it is possible that the nitrogen
bacteria may have found
their way to the new field, he does
not think so.
One of the most important requi-
sites in the growing Of alfalfa, Mr..
Peters finds, is stirring of the soil.
In his opinion the lack of it is the
cause of most of the failures to grow
the crop. He first began to observe
hat point while cultivating a part of
MS orchard in which a few plants had {
after the crop had been ,
urned under. In plowing and har- ,
'owing about these plants no effort :
vas made to save them. They were y
'craped and cut by the p1owshare =
md torn and twisted by the harrow :
Until it seemed that they could not
,scape destruction, but they flourish +,
ID anew after each onslaught, and u
hey have done so well under that {
reatment that he thinks that 1t is
rood for them to be stirred up. He q
ays too many people sow the seed =
md let 1t go at that. The spring-tooth q
is the proper implement to Il
lse for the purpose. 4
Three Cuttings Made.
The patch was moved three times a
asst year. The first cutting was made [
bout the middle of May. to cut back .
he weeds and keep them from chok- f
ng the alfalfa. The plants were ii
mall then and the tons were left on a