The Paonia newspaper., 1911-05-19
SEEDING OF ALFALFA
Must Be Done in the Spring in
the Humid Sections.
Farmer Cannot Always Secure suff-
eient Moisture to Insure Germina-
tion In August-Does Better
With Nurse Crop.

In central Nebraska and west, the
farmer Is in a manner compelled to
SOW his alfalfa In the spring, for the
reason that he cannot always secure
sufhcient moisture to insure germina-
tion In August seeding. He must
therefore SOW in April, May or June.
when conditions are such as to insure
full stand. says Wallaces Farmer.
A half stand of alfalfa is practically
no stand
In the humid section we do not rec
ommend spring seeding at ALL AL
though some men have been successful
with 1t. it is altogether better to seed
In August when. with proper care. the
farmer In the humid section can be
reasonably certain of a supply of mois-
ture sufficient to germinate his alfalfa
seed Where farmers in the humid
section still insist on sowing their al
falfa In the spring. however, We ven
ture to make some suggestions:
There are but two ways of sowing
alfalfa In the spring. either with
nurse crop or without. We would not
care to SOW alfalfa without nurse
crop until we had in some way sprout-
ed and killed the annual weeds which
come up and grow with such luxuri-
ance In the spring.
III we were intending to SOW alfalfa
In the spring We would begin treat
ment as early as possible. as II We
were preparing for corn. We would
disk as soon as the ground was in
working condition. We would plow
after disking. and harrow after
plowing. and harrow whenever we saw
the weeds starting until in May. We
would then seed to alfalfa. giving 1t
the full use OF the land.
III weeds grew, We would not bother
with them. but allow them to grow
with the alfalfa. and then cut the crop
when II was beginning to throw out
buds from the crown. This will get
rid OF the annual weeds. There are a
class OF weeds. however. that come up
later, and these will give you trouble.
II Is the custom OF a good many farm
ers. when weeds begin to spring UP
and threaten to smother the alfalfa.
to clip them back. The trouble with
this is that this clipping does not help
the alfalfa but hurts II. for the reason
that alfalfa Is not accustomed to being
cut until II throws out buds from the
crown. or the root. near the ground.
The weeds keep growing right along.
however. even II cut back: and In our
experience we have found that this
method of clipping alfalfa before It is
ready to throw out buds is a positive
disadvantage.
IL nurse crop is used. We would
select the earliest: winter wheat, II
the stand is not too thick. or. better
still. winter rye. By sowing alfalfa
on winter wheat when It Is two or
three inches high. and then narrowing
IT as you would clover. you will kill
vast number Of the annual weeds that
grow in the spring. You will also
have conserved moisture by breaking
up the crust: and as your wheat will.
in the latitude OF central Iowa, be on
about the first week In July. the alfalfa
will scarcely have made sum cient
growth to be cut when the wheat is
moved. The wheat itself will tend to
prevent weed growth. Rye would usu-
ally be better than wheat, because It
does not usually lodge. and can there
fore be cut high. thus avoiding cutting
ha~E rho offaIf. bafara 4. tG.an