The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-30
SOWING ALFALFA CROP
Young Plants Are Easily Injured
by FEOsts and Weeds.
0esdb 70 Bese Sewn with Drill "a Less
10 Required Per Aege-shouad Not
De Seeded More Than Two
Inches IN Light 9oItss

#.Ea -
OBy L. r. WALDR0M, North Dakota
Agricultural CoEhege.)
As. the yOung alfalfa planes are eas-
4Ey fnauned by frogts. and by weeds. 1t
ls BEST not to SOW alfalca early IN the
spring. Alfalfa seeding may be de-
lAyed until other crops are In. There
10 no advantage I'm sowing alfalfa be-
fore the middle Of May, and n the
landaAs weady the seeding may be de-
layed untsl the middle Of June. BY
this time the majority Of weed seeds
can be terminated and killed.
Alfalfa seed ts bst sown with q
drill. II sown in such a manner, less
seed 10 required per acre and tho seed
that IL aown IL covered 20 o more
uniform depth.
Northern grown~seed, and especial
~ Grimm seed, Is expensive, and this
reduction OF the amount required
means considerable saving Of money.
The seed may be own either from
the grain box, or by means OF a grass
seed attachment, usually obtained
with drills. Some makes OF drills
have alfalfa plates to At into the
grain holes, and by means OF such
plates the rate Of seeding can be so
reduced that Ii pounds Of alfalfa seed
can be sown per acre without dilut-
ing the seed with some foreign ma
teTfal. .
II the driH cannot be made to feed
the seed slowly enough the seed may
be mixed with ground feed, boiled
and dried miIlet seed, or better still,
with alfalfa dirt. II alfalfa dirt is
used for dilution 1t should be dry
enough to allow the mixture 70 run
easily through the drill. When not
too dry 1t has a slightly 'retarding &C
ton on the flow Of the seed. When
too moist the dirt cakes and the seed
does not feed properly unless Q force
feed drill is used.
II broadcast seeding is done, the
seed may be sown by hand, or better
still by a whee1baFrOw seeder. The
seed ia covered with a harrow. Broad
cast seeding requires one-third more
seed than does driTl seeding.
Using a standard quality OF seed,
the proper amount to BOW varies with
the amount Of moisture available to
the alfalfa plants. For this state, i've
to ten pounds Of choice, hardy seed
per acre, evenly distributed at q uni
form depth. viii furnish a sufficiently
heavy seeding. Five pounds OF seed
per acre is. probably a sufficient
amount over large sections Of the
state, when all conditions are favor
able. The cutting down Of the ex-
pense by sowing this small amount OF
seed rs an item Of some Importance.
The increased quality of stand, So
cured by thin seeding, is much more
impoxtant.
1t will be shown in the second part
OF this bulletin, q thin stand for Ger.
tain conditions produces q much
larger yield than q thicker stard.
Practically all of the alfalfa seeding
in the state up to this time has been
at 4 comparatively heavy rate; Is
pounds or more Of seed per acre. In
a few instances those growing alfalfa
recognize that too much e e haa
been used per acre, and some OF thsm
believe that FIVE pounds OF seed DER
acre is sufficient.
In Montana and Washington It il
recognized that alfalfa must be seed
ed thtnly If success is to be obtained.
Max HinNohs Of Pullman, Wash, rec.
ommeRds that not more than five
pounds Of chotce seed be sown to the
acre.
Alfalfa should not be seeded deep
er than two inches in light soils. In
clay soils, q depth Of one inch, or
less, 10 sufficient. The seed terminates
rapidly and the crop should be well
up in dve days, under, favorable con-
ditions. In sandy soils, lacking humus,
or In clay soils, a rain coming before
the alfalfa Is UP will allow a crust to
form on the surface OF the soil. which
Is penetrated with difficulty by the
seedlings. Unless this is broken. cor.
siderable injury will ensue.
A very light, wooden roller may be
made of inch boards, with small nails
driven through the boards. 10 npoSect
to the, outside. Running this roller
over the surface will break the cY,sr.
but not materially tRtartng me al
falfa.