The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-03-07
'ALFALFAlROWlNG
! IN MICHIGAN
Experiments Made With Farm
h Crops at Michigan Agri-
cultural College
HOW IT CAN Be DONE SUCCESSFULLY

The following are abstracts from
the summary of Bulletin No. 27l of
the Michigan Experiments Station, on
The Growing of Alfalfa in Michigan:
k"Alfalfa is rapidly coming into favor
as farm crop in Michigan, ninetytwo
per cent of the farmers reporting ex-
pressing good or medium opinion OF
alfalfa as farm crop in their respec-
tive sections"
"The two prinipal causes of failure
in growing alfalfa have been poor pre-
paration of the seed bed and the lack
of incubation" "Among other inn
portant causes of failure are acid soil,
light infertile soils, poorly drained
soils, use of nurse crop and in case of
the seedlings, winter killing"
alfalfa is being grown successfully
on good many varieties of soil types
throught the state. The exact type
of soil does not appear to be of much
Importance bnt soils that are shallow
by reason of the water table or rock
formation near the surface and very
light infertile soils should be avoided.
Farmers on light sandy soils should
see1 on th?ir best land and may need
to take some special means of building
up the fertility of the soil. Farmers
In the better agriculture sections should
as rule seed on higher lands of
the farm because this land is more in
need of improvement, because the
alfalfa as a rule is productive on this
land and because the soil most produc-
tive in corn and other crops is left for
the growing of these crops"
alfalfa should not be seeded after
grass sod but may follow cultivated
or small grain crop. The preparation
of the seed bed should be thorough and
extend over period of several weeks
so as to secure firm and finely pull
verized seed bed in which the weeds and
weed seeds have been as completely
eradicated as possible. The most salts
factory way of preparing seed bed is
to plow in the fall or early spring and
to harrow every week until late spring
or early summer"
''The use of manure in seeding alfalfa
is advisable if applied sometime before
seeding or after the alfalfa has come
up and made some little growth. 1t is
not advisable to turn under a heavy
application on a quickly prepared seed
bed, as this tends to hold up the soil
and allow it to dry out, or to apply as
top dressing shortly before seeding,
because Of the introduction of the weed
seeds. -
''There are doubtless many conditions
under which commercial fertilizers,
judiciously applied, may profitably be
used to stimulate more vigorous
growth both in the new and ole
seedlings, but the idea that is more Of
less prev alent that commercial fertil
izers may be used to immedi ately make
any soil productive is a fallacy, ant
/ until further data is available at Least
commercial fertilizers should be applied
in an experimental way to learn wha
may best be used under local conditions. ,
On many soils throught the state
lime does not seem to be needed but or
others it is quite essential to the sue
cessful growing of alfalfa 1t is wei
to apply lime on portion of the fielc
when seeding alfalfa for the first time
especially if difficulty has been expert
enced in growing clover, or if there il
any other indication of an acid soil. /"
i '"The presence of nitrogen fixing bac.
terra are of utmost Importance in the
growing of alfalfa. Both the soil anc
pure culture methods of inocculatior
have given goodresults and one or the
both should always be used whenever
alfalfa is being seeded for the first
time in field"
''The exact date of seeding is not OF
, so much importantance as the prepara-
vtion of good seed bed and several
other factors. Late spring or early
summer is favorable time on the me-
dium or heavy types Of soils, and early
or middle spring is good time on the
lighter tpyes of Soils"
1.-The use of nurse crop is not adv
isable except on fields that are apt to
blowo wash and on seed beds that are
poorly prepared and are apt to become
very weedy." /,
"The rate Of seeding within certain
limits Is not an important factor in the
seeding Of alfalfa. A very light seed
ing is satisfactory under ideal condit-
ions. Ten or twelve pounds per acre
should ordinarily be as good as more
and is a safe amount for general
recommendation" I"