The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-06-12
The ALFALFA Meeting
Brought Man, Farmers to Leon last
Saturday and Many Splendid
Samples Were Exhibited. d,

Breeders Association held at the
court house last Saturday, was 4 sur
prise to everyone, for two reasons.
First, on account of the rain i: was
feared the attendance would be poor,
but there was a splendid attendance
of farmers from all parts of the
county. Second, no one dreamed
that there was as much alfalfa be-
ing grown in Decatur county as the
exhibit showed. HH5
The meeting was called to order
by President A. H. Meter, of Well
don, who told in a few words the
object of the association and urged
every stock breeder and farmer in
Decatur county to become member
of the association, which has accom-
plished a great deal since it's organi-
CATION a few years ago. He then in
troduced the special alfalfa speaker,
Prof. A. M. TenEyck, of Kansas, the
home of alfalfa, who is now connect
ed with the Extension Department
of the Iowa State College. at Ames.
In opening his address Prof. Ten
Eyck said that he had been greatly
surprised when he came to Leon, for
he expected to have to talk to COM
munity where alfalfa was practically
unknown as the statistics OF the state
only credited Decatur county with
growing a total of ten acres OF alfal-
ia, but from the splendid exhibits be-
fore him, it was evident that alfalfa
had taken strong hoId on our farm,
ers and all they needed was a little
education and they would forge to
the front in the production of the
greatest forage crop known. He said
he had travelled over a considerable
portion of this state, examining the
soil and conditions and that south
ern Iowa was an ideal place for alfal-
ia growing. He also said he found
that the southern part of the state
had superior soil over that of the
central and northern portions, as the
soil was many feet deep, while in the
northern part there was but a few
feet of soil. Prof TenEyck has been
growing and specializing with alfalfa
for a number of years and is thor
oughly posted about this crop. He
told of it's wonderful feeding quail
ities and great production per acre,
as two and three crops were harvest
ed each year. He explained at con-
siderable length the best mode of,
preparing the ground for alfalfa
seeding, and how and when to plant
the seed He remarked on the fact
that while many of the samples OF
alfalfa shown were marked not in
noculated that they had become in
noculated through natural cOndi-
tions or from adjacent fields of alfal-
ia or from sweet clover. He told
what kind of land was best for alfal-
ia, saying that we'll drained upland
was best, as alfalfa would not do
we'll on low, wet, or seepy ground.
He gave the established rules to fol-
low to insure the greatest success
was to innoculate an alfalfa field,
either by getting few loads OF soil
from a growing alfalfa field or by
taking the top soil from along the
road where sweet clover was grow
ing. He talked informally and in
vited questions, and his hearers were
not slow in asking questions for
they all were interested.
Novia S. Beavers, of Woodland,
Ed H. Sharp of Leon, Mort Shell of
Decatur ,and w. F. Howell of Cen
ter, told of their experiences in
planting and raising alfalfa. r@
There were tWenty-fOur samples
of alfalfa entered for the prizes
which had been offered by the Deca-
tur County Improved Live Stock
Breeders Association, the Exchange
National and Farmers and Traders
State Banks, besides nearly as many
more exhibits showing plants of var
ious ages. The prizes were award
ed as follows:
1st-J. F. Newlin, of Woodland,
from a field of Is acres planted in
1911. ="
2nd-J. F. CARRIER, of Franklin
township, from a field of one acre
planted in 1912. '','
3rd-W. F. Howell, of Center
township, from a field of one-half
acre planted in 1910. ati
4th-A. H. Meter, of Garden
acres planted in 1912. @ s
One interesting exhibit was alfal-
ia which was 2 years old, from the
farm of Mrs. B. A. Rayn, of Wood
land, the first alfalfa ever planted
in Decatur county. The exhibit was,
brought to Leon by Novia S. Beavers,
Oh WOOQlduU, anu SuOWeu Lue cHOr-l
nous growth of the roots which,
were half an inch thick two Feat
from the crown when broken off and
extended down several feet more. IN III
An exhibit of alfalfa thirty inches
high taken from 3 acre field ION
the farm of J. F. Mullin, the new
owner of the Billy Shields farm
south of Grand River, made the peo-!
pie stop and think what such Target
crop of hay meant so early in the
season, and then there will be two
more crops this year from the same
field. Mr. McMullins has about six
acres of old alfalfa in addition to
this new field of IS acres and is len
! thusiastic over growing alfalfa sin
this county. st.'
The Decatur County Improved
Live Stock Breeders Association and
the businessmen of Leon who assist
ed in making the alfalfa meeting a
success are to be congratulatedkf for
the great success OF this meeting,
and when the special alfalfa train
visits Leon about the first OF August