Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-05-20


Alfalfa Is particularly fitted for
cultivation on the prairles--on arid or
seini-arid lands. II does not require
an excessive amount OF moisture to
thrive, and Il can Withstand long aea-
sons OF drought When moisture is
supplied 4 feshfhes rapld Growth with
apparently no setback duo 10 the
forced standstill n Is during Jnly
and August. our hottest months, that
this plant makes its most rapid
growth. provided the moisture Is not
exhausted
On dry farms the second and third
cuttings are uncertain from the fact
that the growth Of the plant up 10
Che first cutting uses up the moisture
10 a large degree. aud unless timely
rains come. the soil is often too dry
10 produce a very heavy crop after
wards. Notwithstanding this fact.
there ~ every announcement 10 be-
lieve that with proper care IN start
ing, alfalfa can De grown ON dry lands.
and that more hay can be obtained
from ii than from any other forage
crop, Tor each season finds more
farmers growing Il without The aid Of
irrigation. Every farmer on non
irrigated land should try at least i've
acres
Location, Soil and Preparation.
Select land that Is we'll drained. NOT
necessarily land that Ia high and
exposed. but II mus, not be wet or
soggy and the groand water should
never be closer to the surface than
three TO five feet Rt any time during
the year, This n quite important. as
alfalfa IL not a plant that VIII tolerate
wet feet" II prefers 4 candy soil
With an open subsnil, though this IL
by no means essenilai 30 rs SUCCESS.
River bottom innd often offers ideal
conditions for rs growth
The land should have been under
cultivation a sufficient length of time
10 have killed ont the Wild GRASSES,
for II has been found that II these
Wild grasses come up % any extent
during the first, or even the second
season, In a field soWn with alfalfa,
they rotRrd the growth Of the alfalfa
plants. which are easily injured IN
this way until they become we'll
established The Ideal condition OF
soil would be 10 take ground on which
potatoes or other hoed crops have
been grown, or sumner fallOWod land,
and prepare the seed bed by discsng
or narrowing. or both. II the land 70
IN suitable condition, Il Is better not
10 pillow IN the spring. II such con
diiions are not obtainabie, stnbble
land may be used by blowing and pre-
pairing a good seed-bcd
lnnocul8tlon Necessary.
As alfalfa furnishes a very nutrit0ua
hay. being particularly rich IN nitro
gcnoua OF flesh PRODUCING consituents,
and as Il Yields heavily, Il might
be expected 10 impoyerlsh the avail
able nitrogen In iha noll anatAnuH
diminish Is fertility very napldly.
Nature. however arranges for any
heavy Graughi on the nltrogen Of the
soil that might accompany ihe grow
ing Of alfalfa Or other lpsemen BY me
soil that might accompany the grow
Ing through tho agency oi certain bac-
terra thar 1--we on their roots. These
bacteria have the ability Oi using the
free nitrogen IN the ar. present ~ the
soil and passing a on 90 their host
plant. the alfalfa or other loeume, in
such d form that a enters tho general
circulation Oh the plant 20 build up ita
various TISSUES of leaf stem aud root
These bacteria may duvelup rapidly
and thus store up very large amounts
Of niirOgeu In the legume crop. The
decay Of the roots. ana ot the whole
plant wheB plOWed under enrlChea the
soil Ia nitrogen. and thus Il Is that
The growth of alfalfa, OF other iesdnie