The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1912-02-09
SHAW on ALFALFA
Great Morihsrs Export Discussed
oreWlag Of Alfalfa and Glover
RETuan NITROGEN TO the SOIL
Expert Wont Into Details % to the
Proper Cultivation Of These
Crops

In our last issue we gave a
rather lengthy story of the
Better Farming meeting held
in this city on Tuesday of last
week but we were unable at
that time to do justice to Prof.
Shaw's address at the School
Forestry assembly room on
Tuesday evening. For that
reason we devote some space
to it at this time, believing
that the statements made by
the Great Northern land ex-
pert have lost nothing of their
force in the meantime and that
our readers will be anxious to
have an abstract of that adj
dress.
In his opening remarks Prof.
Shaw said that in the mornin g
address at the court house he
had expressed the opinion that
we did not have enough rain
fall here to successfully grow
clover but that he had since
learned that he had been n1isin-
formed as to the average rain
fall and that he now wished to
speak not alone of alfalfa but
of alfalfa and clover together.
Clover is more difficult to start
on account of the necessity for
the essential bacteria in the
soil but the crop is one of great
value to the soil and is well
worth the effort necessary to
get it started.
The speaker repeated the
assertion, made at the morning
address, hat-alfalfa cansbe cue
cessfully grown on nine tenths
of the land in North Dakota.
He said the exceptions to this
rule were such lands as were
water soaked, soil that rests on
a sub-strata of hardpan which
prevents the roots from getting g
down and that class of soil that
is gumbo in character and
alkali in nature. He asked
questions as to the presence of
hardpan in this county, and
upon finding that it was either
not present or where found was
deep in the earth, stated that
there was no obstacle to sue
cessful and profitable alfalfa
raising here. Referring to the
last mentioned class of land, not
suitable for alfalfa growing,
Prof. Shaw said that in this
alkaline soil the seeds would
not germinate. 1t is hoped
that a plant will be found that
will remove the alkali from the
soil but so far little progress
has been made along these
lines.
Referring to the question of
inoculating the soil with the
bacteria necessary for the
growing of alfalfa and clover,
Prof. Shaw said that so far
we have succeeded very well
in North Dakota with inocula-
ton. On one of our plats al
Westhope one half of the land
was inoculated and the other
half was not and we could not
notice any difference in the
stand of alfalfa the first year.
OF course, there may be a diff
ference the second season but
am inclined to think that il
we use manure it is almost
equivalent to incubation. II
has not the same elements. OF
course, but it helps the plants
to develop the proper condi-
tions." J"
There are several million
acres of nd.in North Dakota
continued the speaker, that
may be classed as light land.
The soil lifts in the wind and
drifts to such an extent that
the seedsare left bare. In SOW.
ing such land to alfalfa there is
the danger that the seeds may
blow away but I am convinced
that when a stand has been Sc.
cured this will be found to be
the very best kind Of soil fol
this crop. And it will solve
the blowing problem for sever
al years.
When farmer decides K
grow alfalfa he should, if pos
-sible, prepare the land a yea
ahead, get it into 4 condition