The Ordway new era., 1912-09-27
CULTURE OF ALFALFA PLANT
Crop May So Successfully Grown In
hlne-Tenths Of Land Of Various
Northwestern States.
Ry PROF. THOMAS sHAw3

By PROF. THOMAS sHAw.)
Alfalfa may be grown In nine-tentha
Of the land In the northwestern states.
providing the land Is properly pre-
pared. the right kind Of seed Is sown
and the seed is properly put into the
ground and the plants are suitably
cared for.
The preparation Of the soil should
begin one year before the seed is sown
when the plants are sown on land that
Is not irrigated. The object sought IL.
frst. to clean the land. and second. to
conserve the soil moisture as far as
this may be possible. These objects
may be secured by carefully summer
following the land when It does not
blow. or by growing clean culti-
vated crop on 1t. and by growing a
corn crop where the soil does blow.
Before plowing the land for the
summer fallow or the cultivated crop
not less than a dozen good loads OF
farinyard manure should be applied
deeply. Deep plowing is important.
except on light sandy land. 1t Is es.
sential that the land shall be kept
clean and that the moisture can be
conserved in 1t to the greatest extent
practicable. Whether the land is sum.
mer fallowed or a cultivated crop Is
grown. It should not be again plowed
before sowing the seed. In the early
spring. however. It ought to be disked
but not deeply. and then narrowed. The
harrow may be used further at inter
walls before the seed Is sown. This
maintains a dust mulch and destroys
weeds that may sprout.
The seed sown should be northern
grown. Turkestan. Grimm and what
10 called Northern Montana are all
good. Northern Montana is another
name for northern grown. All Of
these are good when they can be OBJ.
tained true to name, and all are sum.
ciently hardy.
The seed should be sown with the
drill and without a nurse crop. It
should be buried from one to two
inches. When thus sown It comes up
evenly. When sown broadcast It is
not buried evenly. and II dry weather
follows tho stand will be uneven. II
the drill will not SOW the seed alone.
It may be mixed with something. as
dry soil. free from grit. or wheat bran.
Where the rainfall is not more than
IL inches in a year six pounds Of good
seed on well prepared land Is enough.
Where the rainfall 10 not more than
1S to 10 inches. It may be better to
SOW 7 or 8 pounds. II the plants are
too many for the moisture in the land.
the roots will not go down sufiicient.
ly, and the yield Of hay will be cor
respondingly reduced.
The plants may be narrowed. II
necessary. when from to 6 inches
high. and when to 10 inches high. II
the plants should lose color. the now
er should be run over the ground
with the cutter-bar set SO high as not
to clip the crowns Of the plants. What
is thus mown should be left on the
land to mulch the same. Before the
arrival Of winter the plants will be
high enough from the subsequent
growth to hold the snow tina. falls for
winter protection.
When the plants are one year old.
they may be disked lightly with
profit to the crop. Every year subse-
quently the crop should be disked
more or less severely in the early
spring and under some conditions
after each cutting. The disking loos-
ems and aerates the soil and allows
the moisture to penetrate more deep
ly. The harrow should follow the
disk.
It Is probable that seed will be
grown by sowing the alfalfa in rows
from 30 to AZ inches distant. and cul-
tivating as for corn when thus sown.
2 or az pounds OF seed per acre
should be, ample.