Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-10-17
HOW TO sow ALFALFA PLANT
Soil Should Be Quite Firm With Good
Mulch-Cultivate to Conserve
All the Moisture.


Good preparation OF the land for
planting is important. The soil should
be quite firm and should have a mulch
OF loose soil an inch and a half or two
inches deep over the surface. Fall
blowing will insure sufficient pack
Ing OF the soil and in the spring sur
face can be worked up into good seed
bed The early cultivation should be-
gin as soon in spring as the ground
can be worked and be continued to
conserve moisture until danger Of
heavy freezing is over. when seeding
may be done. There should be sufii-
Client moisture in the soil TO bring up
the alfalfa and keep It growing until
1t is eight or ten inches high. when
water may be applied II needed. With
spring blowing II is difficult to get
seed bed firm enough and one that Will
retain moisture we'll enough for best
results. The soil will be too loose
and will dry out quickly. II is there
fore advisable when the land is plow-
ed IN spring TO irrigate before seed
ing. provided there has not been an
abundance OF rain. Alfalfa may be
started al any time during the season
until as late as August or even Sep
TENDER. provided the land is irrigated
beforehand. In some localities where
early fall frosts occur seeding in
September may not be practicable.
For the best results the seeding
should be tolerably early in spring.
The particular time will depend upon
the altitude and the local climatic
conditions. A few degrees OF frost
will do no injury but heavy frost
is likely to kill alfalfa when just out
OF the ground.
II the seed bed is in perfect condl-
ton and a drill be used eight to
twelve pounds OF first grade seed per
acre should be sufficient for a good
stand.
The use OF a seeder that sows in
drills and covers the seed is to be
recommended as the seeds are COW
cred and each seed IS given an equal
chance for termination with every
other drill with press wheels at
tached is also desirable The seed
should be sown shallow-from one
half inch to two inches deep. II a
drill is not to be had. the alfalfa may
be broadcasted and narrowed in. The
author has seen very good stands
from broadcasting with the wheelbar.
row seeder. Drilling. however. is the
better method.
seeding without nurse crop will
give best results. Especially is thus
true on raw sage brush land that has
not been in alfalfa before. Sown
alone the alfalfa will make a fairly
good growth the first year and under
favorable conditions may make a ligh, |
crop. It will become we'll established /
and yield we'll the second year When |
sown with a nurse crop on new land |
Il generally makes but a spindling
growth the first year and does not
produce root system and a crown
strong enough to enable 1t to make
good returns the second year. Thus
seeding with nurse crup Is not a
good practice at least not on new
and. as the nurse crop does not make
up for the loss in yield OF alfalfa the
second year
Oh Nudl has Dten IN al1alfd /
once and is In good filth. seeding with
4 nurse crop is allowable. and NAV
give good results. The grain should
be sown at the proper time In spring.
but seeding OF alfalfa should be de-
ayed just before the first irrigation.
At that time broadcast and harrow Il
IN. II the furrow system Of irrigation
IS employed run the harrow with the
burrows so as not to fill them I'D. The
seeding of alfalfa and the first irriea-
ton must OF course take place before
the grain gets too high. When sown
In this way the irrigation water can
be applied according to the grain crop
may require. II sown together with the
nurse crop 1t may be in need OF irri-
cation earlier than is ordinarily bene-
fetal for grain.
When the soil is light and heavy .
winds are prevalent It is necessary to .
seed with a nurse crop as a protec. |
ton against the wind. One-half or |
two-thirds the seed used when the
grain is sown alone should be used.