The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-11-27

surface from rains or melting snow.
and II freezing weather follows Ice
will form and smother the plants. The
fields will then become patchy and
should he plowed and reseeded. For
the same reason q creek or river hot
tom that is subject to overflow should
not be selected. rs the alfalfa plants,
II submerged for few hours. will tlIe
from suff0cation. Land that has the
water line only two or three feet he
low tho surface should he avoided. as
the plant needs well drained soils.
The natural home for alfalfa IA on
limestone soils or soils TINT have a
goNlly supply Of carbonate Of lime In
Them No matter how favorable other
conditions may be. II the soil IS sour
and gives strong acid reaction 1t will
be necessary to ncutrnlixe the acidity
to some extent before II will be possi
bile to get the best results.
Acid land can occasionally be deter
mined by. plants snch as sheep sorrel
and mares tail That thrive thereon. It
can always he determined 10y testing
with blue litmns paper which can bc
obtained from the druggist. Tnkp somc
moist earth from few inches heneafh
the surface OF the ground and press
It firmly over strip 1T litmus paper.
Do not handle the lltmns lnInr when
the hands are moist. as the rerSpira
ton from them may cause the paper to
show an acid reaction when no acid
Is present In the soil. After the paper
has remained In the soil for ten or
fifteen minutes. II It has changed IN
color from blue to pink or RID. the
soil Is acid. and this acidity should be
corrected to certain degree before
alfalfa can be grown to advantage.
The beginner should SOW only a small
acreage until he has studied the condi-
tons of the farm IN relation to this
crol. One or two acres are sufficient to
START with Land that has been In
young sod the previous year and then
run to potatoes, corn. peas or some
root crop where clean culture was
practiced Is most suitable. This
should be fall plowed seven or eight
inches deep. so MS to have deep. mel
low seed bed
In the early spring rum the disk over
the land and then follow with q fine
tooth harrow ut weekly intervals until
about June I. SO the weeds will sprOnt
and be killed The alfalfa seed is then
sown without any nurse crop. using
twenty pounds per acre. The practice
Of sowing alfalfa with nurse crop Is
being displnced by the method OF SOW
ing the seed alone and with much bet
ter results Where the land Il ex.
tremely weedy 1t Is advisable to sum-
mer fall0w and SOW to alfalfa the first
week In August. II weedy the land
should be plowed after the crop Is re-
moved and fine tooth harrow run ut
| intervals to kill weeds through the lat
ter part of summer and early fall For
best results one ton OF earth per acre
should be scattered Immediately pre-
ceding the sowing Of the alfalfa seed
Occasionally the alfalfa will come into
bud and hesitate to blossom. Sprouts
will then Immediately start ut the base
| It should be cut when those conditions
| prevail. even though no blossoms up
pear.
In the afternoon Of the same day Of
cutting, II weather has been favorable
the alfalfa can be raked and put Into
| small cocks. The cocks should not bt
/ left standing in the field more thar
two or three days during wet weather
] without moving or the alfalfa plants
underneath the cocks will be partially
or completely slnothered. By running
pitchf0rk into a cock of alfalfa neal
the bottom one can easily meye thu
pile II alfalfa Is exceedingly greer
when cooked or rainy weather sets II
1t will heat unless the cocks are open
ed every day or two. In favorabl,
weather no more difhculty Will be ex
perienced In curing alfalfa than in cur
Ing .heavy growths Of clover. A mucl
better quality will be secured II TIN
crop Is cured under hay caps.
| The importance and popularity Of th,
plant are such that the present acreage
In Wisconsin win probably double ii
the next three years. For the pms
| twelve years the department Of agron
omy Of the Wisconsin experiment sta
ton has carried on experiments ant
issued bulletins bearing upon the cnl
ture OF alfalfa Tho Gull for informa
lion has been 80 great that the las
bulletin is entirely exhausted. and ne
cessity demands new edition.
An association OF select alfnlf,
growers and experimenters. known a
the Alfalfa Order Of the Wlsconsil
Experiment association, has been &c
Gently organized. The aim and pun
poses of the organization are to grow
alfalfa and disseminate knowledge x
garding It. The association Is co-oF
Grating closely with the college Of az
riculture SO as to secure informatio
from numerous experiments and test
to benefit all alfalfa growers Of th
state. The. organization now has
membership Of 500. and sixteen ton
Of seed have been purchased by til
members Of the season Of 1912 Fror
the large numbers engnged IN this &
operative work much useful inform.
don can be secured that will be 4
great benefit to the alfalfa growers |
general
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