The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-11
Profits IN Growing This Plant fol
Hay Larger Than In Growing
Ccrn--Pzys s Per Cent
or $1,000 Land.
ALFALFA AS FERTILIZER
~ ar Average Of SIS Per Ten With
five Teas te ire Acre, Alfalfa o.
eueles an Important Place Arnsns
the Feremsst Farm Crops In
United stztes.
By a p. erspt. Prsa IiIinsis AIfaIfs
Growers Assn.

LNatso1zl Crop Improvement Seyyseel
About twenty years ago tried the
experiment of growing alfalfa In lii
Eois- ] sowed about two acres and
secured 9 fair stand and grew 3 fairly
good crop for four or Eve years. /
VAS almost entirely ignorant As to the
proper care and management OF III,
and after time the blue grass and
other grasses crowded It out and /
plowed Il up. but Immediately re-
seeded the same ground with four OF
fEe acres more.
Seeing tire Need Of lneeulasien.
again secured = fair stand; but
soon discovered that that part of the
feld which had first been seeded In
Alfalfa did much better than the
newly seeded part Ir was about this
time that | began to read about ali
fAlfa bacteria and the necessity of
applying inoculated soil. or the sofI
from an old Geld where alfalfa had
been grown / Immediately secured
q few hundred pounds OF inoeulated
soil for use on my own field The
effect was almost magical
Discovering Another Point.
In the meantime Il was discovered
that when the plant reached certain
stage Of development it should be
cut and II the cutting we're delayed,
IT would be very detrimental to the
future growth OF the plant. Then the
necessity OF cultiyating the growing
fields Of alfalfa became known. in or
der TO prevent the growth OF blue
grass and other grasses and weeds.
Fifty. Acres Of Successful Alfalfa.
/ have nov more than fifty acres Of
growing alfalfa experience no diff
fculty in securing a good stand and
in growing large crops OF the richest
hay-food known.
Pays Percent on $1,000 Land.
careful record was kept OF four
acres for five years, (1905-1s09) and
the average was found to be four and
eighttenths tons per acre, field
weights. The lowest yield during the
term was 2.2S tons and the highest
1872 tons This yield was made in
1906, in four cuttings. A total of Sc
tons of hay was produced on the four
acres in five years. The price of al
falfa during this period ranged from
1880 to s22 per ton. Taking con-
seryatiye average of SIS per ton, we
have the sum OF 81 40 or $2SS for one
year, or S72 per year for each acre.
Deducting S12 per acre for the culti-
walton and care of this land and the
harvesting Of the crop. for each year,
and We have $50 per acre. clear of all
expense.
| feel very sure that for the past
few years my alfalfa has produced five
tons per acre, which at SIS per ton
(and | have never been able to buy it
at that price, returns $75 per acre.
But to be well within bounds we will
discount the amount one-third and we
still have left $50 per acre or five
per cent on valuation of $1,000.
Mr.. TuIlock's Yields.
These figures may appear large and
oyer-estimated and will therefore
quote you from others who have had
experience in growing alfalfa. George
f. Tullock, Farmers Institute Direc-
tor from the Rockford District, said
in an address at the State Institute
at Edwardsyille last year that a yield
OF five tons of alfalfa per acre was
conservative estimate and that under
favorable conditions he had known as
much as six tons per acre to be
grown.
Mann's Yield, 5 Tons for 10 Years.
f. l. Mann, another Institute direc-
tor, from Gilman, Iroquois county,
and one OF the best and most scien-
tIic farmers in Illinois, says In an
article In the Orange Judd Farmer OF
May 6, 1911. Il have grown alfalfa
for ten years, much Of the time hav-
ing about twenty acres. The average
annual yield of hay is then about FIVE
tons per acre. AS 1t is the most
profitable crop grow 1t is my inten-
tion to increase the acreage in the
future"
Value Of Alfalfa as Fertilizer.
Alfalfa has still another value. At
the Wyoming Experiment Station
an area of land was selected and
seeded one-haIf to alfalfa which was
allowed to grow for five years, and
the other half was cropped with
grain and potatoes in rotation. At
the end OF the time the entire area
was plowed up and planted to field
crops The yield of wheat on the al
falfa land was so percent greater
than on the other. The yield Of oats
was IS percent grea4er. and the WELD