Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-10-31
continued from last week,
6.--Inoculation

A1a1as superiority over other crons is d, - a. ,
thaC IL Is rch IN protein (musce building food) o1 a..
fact that 1t enriches rather than depIete iSO " ne
IL grows. both OF these qualities are possible h
r.; 80 sd1 small plants called bacteria which
11 ~ u the a1alfa, there forming the familiar
nooules' In each nodue millions of these hact liI
nave 'ne power OF aSsln1atmg nitrogen from the air ,d
nitrogen Dehg the basic element in protein food and t
important lacor In SOIL fertility stated above If tb.o
D "o no' present IN the soil, alfalfa does not do we'll
Ii then becomes necessary noculae the soil with +h n
tera Inns Is accomplished ways First soil from
an alfalfa field known contain the bacteria NOV 10 1
over ne ground III question the of two or three ~
oeu PouoS per acre. and narrowed disked in Second
Poron u So may De treated with pure culture obtained
from meteorological laboratory and this dised into tho
ground IN question; third the seed which is 70 h SCUM
may De lnoculated with pure culture obtained from h
oatoiv anu 'heSe SEEDS SoWn In the mOculated ground
whenever method used the mocuaed or seed shond
not be exposed to strong sunlight; is the inocuon
should take place cloudy day or in the evening These
notwithstanding bacteria to be present more or lose -
most OF the soils of Eastern Washington Therefore, most
ahaa growers are not obliged to nocuae their soil Yet
Ill most regions incubation proves beneficial because if hast
ems the time of nodue formation aiding the growth Of
the alfalfa On the Experiment Station farm has freonn
been noted that in fields which previously grown
alfalfa does not make growth at first as does
upon fields which already infected nodue forming
bacteria
In Western Washington incubation seems to be quite
essential although the whole alfalfa problem more or less
In an experimental stage that region present time
In general 1t can be SAID that incubation necessary
1t observed that the alfalfa devoid nodus or produces
only few of the same Is low IN organic matter
the growth irregular field is found that
some plants bear nodues while other do other
hand incubation necessary average crop
being produced and nodues abundant when the soil
already rich IN nitrogen, parts West
The apparent indication of incubation is
yelowsh, spndlmg growth of alfalfa.
The be of regarding the bacteria
as fertilizer They They produce the fertilizer and
the effect of incubation expected early
also useless noculate upon acid waterogged soil
been the custom the Experiment Station In the
past recommend incubation by soil obtained from
another alfalfa field However, this method is attended with
less danger of the fact that farmer
unconscousy introduce his soil ungous and bac
eria diseases Nematode potato bugs the
moth alfalfa weev (Which pupates the so and also the
seed of and sundy noxous weeds These all real
dangers pests like the bacterial
leaf spot of the alfalfa the alfalfa weev the potato ber
MOTH and the Colorado potato bug commencing to
the state very important exercise
lnocuatng by this method.
incubation by of pure cultures is attended with
any of these dangers However, there is disadvantage
the pure culture and that is sometimes inert when obtained
easily rendered inert by careless handling.
THE Nurse Crop
While in many farmers succeed with crop,
most uniformity good secured by seeding alfalfa
alone Where rainfall exceeds twenty inches fairly good crop
of alfalfa hay be secured the same season it is SEEDED
nurse crop used There which
seed with rapid growing before seeding the
alfalfa in order to hold the soil from drifting seeding the
alfalfa after the quicker growing has made good start
Rye has been crop quite frequently with good
success of the drifting soils OF the irrigated regions
is questionable whether alfalfa be grown with
soils have begun drift and irrigation water is avail
able 1t should be attempted only in very small under
such conditions until its merit is determined
8-Care During First Summer
Contrary the belief that alfalfa Will root better
give better by clipping back experiments have
clearly shown that alfalfa will better established
ducng better crop ensuing if it not clipped back
the first season until it made full growth However,
weeds come badly it best to cut the Weeds setting
the mower bar TO run high avoid cutting back the alfalfa
plants much possible
9-Cultivation
Alfalfa shonld be cultivated each spring the