Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-07-31

the variety. EXpeflmentSl ut the WIS
consin station show that Of all north
ern grown seeds not grown under irrl-
cation methods the preference was for
THE seed showing best termination re-
Eardless Of variety.
Caution should be exercised as to
The location of the field. Alfalfa can
be grown on wide variation of soils,
yet on its first trial on farm it is
best to SOW on high, well drained land.
A rich clay loan on top Of gravel or
limestone is the ideal location, but 1t
will grow on all types of soil, varying
from n heavy clay to medium sandy
loan, If other conditions are favorable.
A gentle slope should be selected. On
level land water will gather on the
surfase from rains or melting snow,
and If freezing weather follows ice
will form and smother the plants. The
fields will then become patchy and
should be plowed and reseeded. For
the same reason creek or river bot
tom that Is subject to overflow should
not be selected, rs the alfalfa plants,
If submerged for few hours, will die
from suffocatloh. Land that has the
water line only two or three feet be-
low the surface should be avoided, us
the plant needs we'll drained soils.
The natural home for alfalfa Is on
limestone soils or soils that have O
goodly supply Of carbonate Of lime III
them. No matter how favorable othei
conditions may be, If the soil Is soul
and gives a strong acid reaction 1t vii
be necessary to neutralize the aciditl
to some extent before 1t will be posi-
BILE to get the best results.
Acid land can occasionally be deter
mined by plants such as sheep sorre
and mares tail that thrive thereon. !
can always be determined by testln!
with blue ltmus paper which can b.
obtained from the druggist. Take SOM
moist earth from n few inches beneath
the surface of the ground and pres
1t firmly over n strip of litmus paper
DO not handle the lltmus paper whel
the hands are moist, rs the perspira
ton from them may cause the paper (
show an acid reaction when no aci
is present In the soil. After the pape
has remained in the soil for ten o
fifteen minutes, If 1t has changed 1
color from a blue to n pink or red, til
soil is acid, and this acidlty should b
corrected to a certain degree befor
alfalfa can be grown to advantage.
The beginner should SOW only sma
acreage until he has studied the cond
lions of the farm In relation to TIL
crop One or two acres are sufficient
start with. Land that has been
young sod the previous year and the
run to potatoes, corn, peas or SON
root crop whore clean culture va
practiced is most suitable. Tn
should he fall plowed seven or elgl
inches deep, so as to have n deep, me
low seed bed.
In the early spring run the disk ovC
the land and then follow with a fiji
tooth harrow at weekly intervals unit
about June /, so the weeds will sprol
and be killed. The alfalfa seed Is the
sown without any nurse crop, usin
twenty pounds per acre. The practi'
of sowing alfalfa with nurse crop
being displaced by the method Of SOY
ing the seed alone and with much be
. ter results. Where the land is e,
tremely weedy It issadvisable TO sun
mer fallow and SOW to alfalfa the fir
week In August. If weedy the Ian
should be plowed after the crop is r.
moved and n fine tooth harrow run I
intervals 10 kill weeds through the In
ter part of summer and early fall, IL
best results one ton Of earth per aci
should be scattered Immediately pr
cedlng the sowing of the alfalfa see,
Occasionally the alfalfa will come I'M
bud and hesitate TO blossom. Sprou
will then Immediately start at the has
1t should be cut when those condition
prevail, even though no blossoms a
pear.
In the afternoon Of the same day
cutting, If weather has been favorabl
the alfalfa can be raked and put In
e small cocks, The cocks should not
r left standing in the field more thf
two or three days during wet wealth
4 without moving or the alfalfa plan
+ underneath the cocks will be partial
G or completely smothered. BY runnli
u n pitchfork into cock Of alfalfa ne
the bottom one can easily move q
e pile. II alfalfa is exceedingly gre,
l. when cooked or rainy weather sets
= It will heat unless the cocks are ope
l. cd every day or two. In favoral
. weather no more difficulty will be {
I pcrlenced In curing alfalfa than in CT
+ Ing heavy growths Of clover A mu
g better quality will be secured II I
crop Is cured under hay caps.
+ The Importance and popularity Of t
d plant are such that the present acrea
Q in Wisconsin will probably double
@ the next three years. For the pi
d twelve years the department Of agr'
o omy of the Wisconsin experiment s
d ton has carried on experiments a
J. issued bulletins bearing upon the c
l. ture Of alfalfa. The call for inform
C ton has been so great that the Il
bulletin Is entirely exhausted, and
d cessity demands new edition.
S An association Of select alta
:, growers and experlmenters, known
the Alfalfa order Of the Wlscon
!. Experiment association, has been
s Gently organized. The aim and p
G poses of the organization are to gr
alfalfa and disseminate knowledge
h gardlng 1t. The association Is co.
0 Grating closely with the college OF
1 rlculture so as TO secure informant
Q from numerous experiments and te
to benefit all alfalfa growers Of
a state. The organization now has
e. membership Of 800, aud sixteen Il
Y Of seed have been purchased by
n members of the season of 1912. FIR,