The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1913-11-15
ALFALFA RESULTS


biggest and most comprehensive
farming campaign ever conduit
ed in the United States has list
been concluded in the 150, 200
square miles of territory tribu-
tary to Spokane.
With a special train of 4 IHe
coaches at his disposal contiHu-
ously for 36 days, Professor Hpl-
den and a score of assisting dx-
perts and practical farmers tr4v-
eled over four railroads in Wash-
ington. Oregon. and Idaho fol a
distance of 2,7OO miles. From
each of 1873 towns where the
train stopped the Holden party
radiated to neighboring commun-
ity centers. covering in automo-
biles 5000 miles.
In the 36-day campaign more
than 10000 people heard the lee
lures on the advantages of grow
ing corn, alfalfa and livestock.
From Is to 25 meetings were
held each day.
ITO my knowledge this is the
most comprehensive campaigniof
it's kind ever engaged in," stated
Professor Holden when in Col
vile, after having conducted
many such movements on a
smaller scale in various parts of
the country.
"We found the people ready
for just the things we advocate.
We found them ready to forsake
the one-crop system of farming
for the more profitable scheme of
diversified farming.
II have been asked by the
Spokane chamber of commerce,
under whose direction have
been working, to come back q
year from now to prosecute a sup
Elementary 4or follow-up cam
paign. l can not say now what
my plans may be, but I can say
that I believe this campaign we
have just gone through marks
the dawn of a new era in the ag-
ricultural life of the Pacific
northwest. Your farmers are
making good money now, but it
is small compared with the max
imum of their possibilities"
"The Ten Commandments of
Alfalfa" as preached by Prof.
Holden through Stevens county
and on his trip over the north
west, can be summarized as fol-
lows:
]. That all seed used should be pure
and clean; that it should be tested for
fertility; that it should come from
section having similar climate and
other conditions; that seed for dry land
should not come from irrigated fields.
2. That the ground used for this
crop must be (a) we'll drained, (b) pre-
viously we'll cultivated and (c) free
from acidity or sourness.
8. Too much care cannot be taken In
preparing the seed bed For spring
sowing the land should have been
plowed the fall before; for fall sowing
the land should be plowed in the spring
No person need expect to have good
results with alfalfa unless he will take
the pains to properly prepare the seed
bed
4. The ground should be practically
free from weeds. Young alfalfa can
not fight weeds. If sowing Is to be
done in the fall the land should be
plowed In the spring. as already men,
toned, and then this should be fol-
lowed up with summer following; at
time of seeding the loose earth on top
should not be deep, for II the seed bed
is not firm, and the soil near the seed
capable of bringing up moisture. the
seed will not germinate.
5. Seed should. be sown with a drill
on irrigated land.
6. If land Is sour. 1t should be treat
ed with ground lime rock or slaked
lime; old lime that is spoiled for any
other purpose will do very nicely.
Z. For seed production, alfalfa
should be planted in drills, and given
good, thorough cultivation. Best dis
lance is about 80 inches.
8. Cutting One Of the most i'm
portant points brought out was that
the cutting time should not be regu-
lated by the blossoms but by the start
ing Of the new growth from the crown.
Just as soon as zthe new shoots are
nicely started. the crop should be cut
at once. The reasons for this are:
(a) II these new shoots are allowed
to grow up few inches they will be
cut of with the grown stems. and thus
two crops will be cut at once, and CD
as soon as the new shoots start they
take the best sap, and the grown stems
begin to turn yellow and drop their
leaves It is best that the leaves