The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-11-29
FIVE PROBLEMS SOLVED

iiaNt pttll Ntitus buN ilNNiC
People want to know facts made so
by experiments and demonstrations
Failures and mistakes are too expen-
sive. especially for the farmer who is
working with small capital III he
knows what he has made good in
years of actual practice he has some
facts on which to base his work, and
he knows II he does likewise, under
similar circumstances he can expect
like results.
About twenty years ago l was work.
ing to get the most in the way Of a
good living and a good suburban home,
on my little place in Delaware County
New York. To do this l saw l must
learn how to better utilize natural
resources and forces. There is an al
most infinite storehouse Of plantfood
In the atmosphere and soil. l saw
farmers using only few inches of the
surface and getting little or no nitro.
gen from the atmosphere. was told
that the alfalfa-plant could send its
roots down to the lowest depths of the
soil for water and mineral food, and
could take the nitrogen from the at
mosphere and store so much OF 1t in
its stem and leaf that one ton Of this
dried was nearly equal to one ton of
wheat-bran in feeding value, but was
also to- that could not grow It sue,
cessfully outside the limestone soils.
On the ordinary alluvial non.limestone
soil of Delaware county, New York,
twenty years ago began to grow al
falfa and have grown 1t successfully
on every part Of my place. have
proved that the ordinary drained soil
with fair depth, can be made to
grow good crops Of alfalfa without
fail, when all the conditions are faith
fully complied with. have found the
growing Of alfalfa on a small place
where intensive small farming and
gardening is practised has enabled me
to keep cows and poultry with profit
ON small areas, where 1t would be i'm
possible to do so without; that there Is
no soiling crop on the earth that APP
proaches alfalfa in value, as it pro-
duces four crops year that aggregate
six to eight tons of dried matter; that
the green alfalfa, used to supplement
a very small pasture for cows, will
maintain the flow of milk beyond what
II is possible to do with other food,
and with no cash outlay. More than
this, alfalfa is changing the character
of my soil by filling 1t with large roots
to its lowest depths, which improves
its mechanical condition. Crops grow
well in alfalfa soil with little or nc
fertilizer. Our table is furnished with
alfalfa transformed into milk, cream
butter, cheese, eggs fruits, vegetables
all the good things from the soil.
We Sow Alfalfa In Spring
One thing I have settled upon is
that in the latitude of New York alfal
ia should be sown In the spring, as
soon as the ground can be got in good
condition; also, that at least one ton
of stone lime an acre needed on aver
age soil, or twice the amount of air
slaked or ground lime; that inocula
ton with alfalfa bacteria is needed F;
that a nurse crop Of one-half bushel
per acre of barley Is better than SOW
ing without a nurse crop, first sowing
the barley, which is narrowed in, then
pure alfalfa DIETER acclimated seed)
thirty pounds to the acre, and rolling
or planking the ground.
1t is no longer question as to the
value Of corn and soy-besn ensilage
for 1t has saved dairy farmers large
part of their grain-bill. Because Of thu
protein content in the soy-bean vines
pods, and beans. the ensilage is more
nearly balanced ration. No extra
work is required in growing soy.bean'
with corn. as the beans are mixed will
the corn, about one-third In proportion
but planting one quarter to one-thirt
more Of the mixture per acre. The
seeds, we'll mixed, can be planted will
the ordinary horse co'n planter Of
grain-drill. 1t may be mere trouble Il
run the corn and soy fesn vines thru
the ensilage cutter, but It can be done
and they are well worth all the extrt
work, for one New York farmer will