The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1912-05-30
Some Alfalfa Advice.

Oklahoma farmers should in the
mex six weeks get our million dollars
from the sale of their first cutting OF
alfalfa. The country from the Rocky
Mountains to the Atlantic is short o
hay and hay is bringing unusually
high prices. Oklahoma farmers will be
first to have any large quantity to
market, and should market their alfal
ia as early as possible and in the best
possible condition considering the
weather.
There is an extreme shortage OF
both cattle and hogs in Oklahoma, so
that the farmers can afford to sell all
the first cutting of alfalfa except the
small amount needed for work horses.
The money that this alfalfa will bring
to Oklahoma farmers will come in be-
fore the wheat money and will make
conditions better all over the state.
The better quality the hay the NOR,
money it will bring. and a little care
less handling among the growers will
hNuhNO az ~ iNt AAN w
Alfalfa hay brings top prices when
it is bright green in color, half the to.
tai weight consisting Of leaves, and the
aroma is rich.
The first cutting should be made
when not over one-tenth of the plants
have come into bloom. IL the grower
feels reasonably sure of a weeks dry
weather it will pay to cut as soon as
a few plants have blossomed. This
will put the hay on the market a week
earlier.
To make alfalfa hay that will bring
a high price, the plants. after being
cut, must be exposed ms little as pos
$ BILE to the sun. Pound for pound
alfalfa leaves are worth four times as
much as the stems. Where alfalfa il
cut and allowed to cure in the swath,
the sun quickly kills the leaves and
makes them so brittle that a large
proportion drops of.
The quicker the alfalfa plant is thor
oughly cured after cutting the b.tter
and quick curing can be best secured
by a method of handling that will keep
the leaves out Of the sun. The hay
maker who gets the highest price for
his hay handles the cut plants so as to
keep the leaves alive as long as posi-.
BILE. When the plant is growing, the
leaves pump moisture from the soil
and evaporate il into the air. After
the plant is cut, n long as the leaves
are alive, they keep pumping the water
out of the stems and evaporate it into
the air. II the leaves of the cut alfalfa
plants can be kept alive for II TO "a
hours they will thoroughly dry out the
plants, making good hay. II the leaves
are killed quickly by letting the hay
lie in the swath, the water slowly evap-
crates from the stems, and it takes
several days for the first cutting to
cure. The way to keep the leaves
alive is to keep them shaded.
The easiest way that | have used
provided it does not rain, is to start
the mower in the forenoon after the
dew is gone follow the mower IN 81
minutes with a side delivery rake
throwing two windows together, put
ting most OF the plants out of the sun
light. The next forenoon, after the
moved ground becomes dry and hot
run the side delivery rake to throw thu
windows over or the bare ground
where the heat will help sure the hay
The only way that have been abl'
to make good hay in showery weathe
is to put it up in tall narrow cocks 70
curing, aud just before stacking opeI
up these cocks to the air and sun for
couple OF hours. This takes labor, bu
the extra price the hay will bring offer
makes the method pay.-H. M. Cor
rRELL, Agricultural Commissioner
Rock Island Lines.