Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1912-09-19
ALFALFA YIELDS DIMINISHING.
Better Care Necessary for Maximum
Crops.

ern Washington, eastern oregon, ant
d northern Idaho have failed to return
: as large a crop this season as wal
; expected Especially was this true o
that portion of the territory where
irrigation is not used. The newly
seeded fields )where alfalfa had moi
been previously grown for the past
three or four years, did not return
the yield they should.
The writer recently had occasion
to visit a number of fields in Latah
and Mez Perez Counties, Idaho, and
Whitman County, Washington. The
plants growing in fields which were
sown in the spring of 1911 Except
those having grown alfalfa before
were small, yellow, and unthriity,
Dotted here and there were single
plants or small groups of plants more
thrifty than tho rest. The foliage
was green and much larger than the
surrounding growth. Upon examina-
ton the thrifty plants were found to
! nave q 1diSS HulluSI VI lOuuiSS oli
their roots. These nodules were
found to be lacking on the yellow,
unthrifty plants. There apparently
was not sufficient number of bact-
eria in the soil to inoculate more
than a few of the plants with the
nodule-forming bacteria.
Artificial methods of incubation ma
be used on ground that has never
before grown alfalfa. Soil ON which
alfalfa has previously been grown is
dpflled in with the seed at the rate
of from 200 to 500 pounds per acre.
1t is often necessary to dry and pull
verize the infected earth before it
can be mixed with the seed or run
through the drill. This work should
be done in a darkened room, as ex-
posture to light for short time will
destroy the nodule-forming bacteria.
The plan of brcadeasting infected
soils gives good results when the
ground is thoroughly covered. Eth
er this method when thorough, or
that of drilling will insure results.
The soil must be drilled in with the
seed. Pure culture of nodule-forming
bacteria may be secured from the
United States Department of Agricu1-
lure. These pure cultures como in
Theoretically sealed tubes and multi
ply rapidaly when placed in water
containing certain nutriments. A larg
number of seed may be inoculated
with small quantity of the material.
The bacteria will spread from the few
plants in the newly seeded fields to
the entire field within a year or two
without other effort ON the part of
the grower if the land is well manur-
ed each fall and cultivated both in
the fall and spring. Fields that lave
been in alfalfa for two or more years
were found to be well inoculated with
Notwithstanding bacteria.
The diminishing yields from the
older fields were found to be cue % |
to poor cultivation or lack Of cultiva
ton altogether; (2) to the lack of
fertilization; and (9) to the crowding !.
of the plants the first year, the
stand being too thick in many cases.
the, stand, of course, grows thinner
each year.
The old alfalfa fields should be
cultivated at least twict each year,
once in the fall and again in the
spring. A thorough cultivation in
the fall loosens up the ground so
that the winters moisture can pene
trate deeply into the soil. The spring
conserves the moisture for
The use Of the plants during the grow
ng season and at the same time des-
-roys the weeds. A double cultiva-
ton with either a disk or alfalfa re-
loyator followed by a drag harrow is
necessary to accomplish this result.
Few crops draw as heavily upon the
'esources of the soil as does alfalfa.
For this reason it is absolutely nee
sssary to put back onto the land
.ome sort of fertilizer, if good yields
ire to be maintained. 1t is true that
he alfalfa plant with assistance of
he Notwithstanding bacteria is able
o take some of it's nitrogen from the
lir. Nevertheless it draws on the
phosphorus, and lime of
he soil as heavily as do other cult
'ated crops. The application of 6 or
o tons of barnyard manure per acre
,efore each fall cultivation in many
distances will double the yield.
1t seems to be the general impress
Jon that from IL to 16 pounds of l
Italia seed is necessary to insure
God stand. AS result the plants
re usually too thick to give the best
Psults. From one to two plants per /,
quare foot is ample for hay produc- :
on but it is not well to SOW too
tile seed as the mortality of seed =
ngs is high. The hay grown from