Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-09-24
HOW TO BEGIN III
ALFALFA GROWING

BY j. Buchanan, Supt. of Co-opera-
tive Experiments, Iowa Agriculture
al Experiment Station.
Though the average farmer recog-
nizes the value of alfalfa, he is still
in doubt as to what is just the best
way to begin to grow alfalfa sue
cessfully under his particular condi-
tions.
During the present season have
visited many alfalfa growers and
made careful observation on a large
number of alfalfa experiment plots
in Iowa. am more than ever con-
WINGED that the wise thing for any
farmer to do, if he lives in locality
where alfalfa growing has not yet be-
come general, is to take year or
two to experiment on small scale.
This will give him definite informa-
ton regarding the conditions neces-
sary Cor successful alfalfa growing on
his own farm without occasioning any
great loss through the use Of ma
terials or treatments which may be
quite unnecessary.
In order to make easy the securing
of first hand local information by
farmers, and to hasten the wide
spread introduction of such an i'm
mensely valuable crop as alfalfa, the
Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station
offers to furnish material and instruc-
tions for experiments to individual
farmers throughout the state for Au-
gust seeding this year.
Tic experiment in each case will
require one-fourth acre of land,
which will be divided into four plots
to be treated as shown in the accom-
panying diagram.
Diagram of Experiment.
Applicants are requested to bear
in mind that wherever sweet clover
is found growing luxuriantly in by
ways or elsewhere, soil for inoculat-
ion purposes can be secured. And it
can often be obtained in better con-
dition and at less expense in this
way than by sending to the expert
ment station for it. Whenever such
soil can be had within a reasonable
distance it should be used, and farm
ers applying for experimental ma
terial are requested to state whether
or not it is necessary to send inocu-
lated soil from the experiment sta
ton.
All materials will be sent free, but
applicants will be required to pay
transportation charges. Each appli-
cant must agree to follow instruc-
tions and report results from time to
time as requested, for a period of
two years.
As the amount of seed and other
materials on hand for these expert
ments is necessarily limited they will
be sent out in the order in which
are received until the
supply is exhausted. Farmers whose
are received too late will
be notified to that effect Immediately.
The experiment should be located
on land of uniform character and
which has received uniform treat
ment during the past few years. 1t
may be placed on field where
crop Of early oats, early potatoes,
winter wheat, or clover has been har.
vested; or better still, where possible,
on land which has grown no crop in
1912 but has been cultivated through
out the season to keep down weeds
and conserve moisture. Wherever
possible barn-yard manure should
be applied and plowed under at once
and the land narrowed and rolled i'm
mediately-unless wet; then oc-
casional surface cultivation given to
kill weeds and conserve moisture UNI
til seeding time. All necessary fur
ther instructions will be sent with
seed.
Any Iowa farmer desiring to con-
duct such an experiment should begin
the preparation of his land at once,
and without delay apply for ma
terials and instructions to the writer,