The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-02-29
Preparation q land for PIanling


But IL does well on almost any type
Of soil. About the most practical way
TO plant it is to make furrows six
inches deep and two to three feet
apart using q single shovel pl0w,
Drop pieces Of the sod or roots every
1g inches to two feet and cover with
foot, hoe, disc, harrow or two-horse
cultiyator The time to plant in Okla
homa may vary from latter part Of
April to the middle Of June, depend
ing on the advancement and condition
Of the growing season. A good time
10 plant is after a rain Another good
practical method is to drop the sods
every second or third furrow after Che
plow just as one often plants potatoes.
1T is not well. to plant TN frosts are
past
Bermuda does not grow we'll from
seed in oklahoma. The plants comes
slowly, are choked by crab grass and
other weeds and often winter kill
1t takes from four to eight sacks Of
the roots to plant an acre The Okla
homa Experiment Station furnishes
these roots to farmers Of the state at
fifty cents per sack. f. 0, b. saltwater.
Sacks win weigh from forty to sixty
pounds apiece. They are perishable
and have to 60 by express. Express
charges run from seyenty-fye cents to
two dollars per hundred 10 various
points in the state. The nominal
charge ef fifty cents per sack covers
cost Of digging. The station will send
as high as four sacks to each farmer
IL possible IT is much better method
to get the roots from some neighbor
II they can be secured that way If
not the station will gladly send
enough SO that those ordering same
may grow enough for future paintings.
are made from May 1st on.
EradIcatine Bermuda Grass
Plant Bermuda on rough land for
pasture. 1t is not well to
grow it on rotation fields or rich al
falfa bottom lands. However, if one
wishes to plant it on such lands it
Is not difficult to eradicate it in the
northern part Of the state. This may
easily be accomplished by plowing in
winter deep enough to expose roots
to frost; disc thoroughly and SOW to
grain or some other cover crop in the
spring Shading Of the ground early
keeps roots that may not have been
killed by frost from coming again.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa, "the best forage as It's
name implies, is as old as the hills,
having been found growing wild by
the ancients. It has grown success
fully in the United States since 1793.s
1t yields from two to six cuttings
year, four to eight tons of hay per
acre The seed will yield four to six
bushels per acre if it is taken from
the second Of third crop. It sells at
eight to ten dollars per bushel. Be
cause of its higl percentage Of that
flesh and bone baoing material, pro
tein, it is regarded as the peer Of even
bran or cotton seed cake and is the
marvel Of the forage crop world; and
yet, thousands Of Oklahoma farmers
do not realize it. 1t can be grown on
almost any farm in the state, at least
a few acres Of it. The bottom lands
yield the best, but excellent yields
are obtained from rich uplands.
In chemical composition, we find
that alfalfa contains II per cent di-
gestible protein; red clover, 6.S; tins
othy, 2.S; wheat bran, 12.5; and ber-
muda hay, 76.
Alfalfa prefers a rich loan well
drained and free from any acid eondi-
ton, In other words, dry sweet Ter
tile soil These three added to good
tillage insures success. The critical
period is the first six weeks Of the
life of the plant The ground should
be plowed early and deep. It should
be well titled fine on top but firm un-
derneath lt should be free from
weeds. Corn is a good crop to precede
slfalfa Fall sowing in September
without a nurse crop is the surest
method 10 follow. II there is no favor
able fall season, SOW at cotton or corn
planting time in the spring. Use
nurse crop IN fall only when soil blows
or is weedy A peck or two Of winter
barley or oats is sufficient This nurse
crop should be moved early to give
the young plants light and air Dur
ing the first season Of growth It may
be necessary to cut the young alfalfa
to keep It from blooming which takes
the vitality OF the plant
It is seldom necessary to inooulate
the soil in this state. II it is the soil
from an old alfalfa field Is lest A
coat Of manure often supplies the lack
where the plants start slowly Fif-
teen pounds Of seed per acre are ample
If seed is clear and strong When
sown with grain drill attachment care
fully and not too deep. twelve pounds
are sufficient. The seed Is small and
should not be sown too deep Try to
get il 90 the moisture
Alfalfa is ready to cut when It has
started to blossom or new plants are
beginning 10 appear at the crowns.
The best quality 81 hay IS made by
letting it wilt for day in the wind
row and then put into shocks 70 cure