Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-08-07
EXRA IOWA. THURSDAY, AUGUST, S
ALFALFA INCREASING
IN AUDUBON COUNTY

Among Audubon County's most
productive pieces of ground this
year are some of the new fields of
alfalfa.
Percy Hallock's field of approxi-
mately ten acres at Oakfield has
yielded about thirty tons of hay to
date, and there is more coming-as
anyone can see who passes that way,
field of about two and a fourth
acres on Abel Stones farm, just
east of Exiar, has already yielded
about three tons of hay per acre,
Notwithstanding his spring pigs
have been grazing in it a consider
/, able part of the summer. It, too,
promises another good cutting.
Some other fields are reported
to have made good returns; and it
may be said that two important
facts have been established within
the past year. The first is that
alfalfa may be successfully grown
i in Audubon County; and the second
is that it is far more profitable
than corn. The good fields are
yielding from $50 to $50 per acre,
it seems, in their first year, which
i is better than corn will do i'm the
very best years.
At the same time, there are
fields of alfalfa in the country
about Extra, which are partial or
complete failures. In practically ev-
cry case the reason is apparent. In
fact these failures seem only to en-
phasize the fact that the conditions
necessary to grow alfalfa success
fully are really under the control
of our farmers, and that failures
has simply been the result OF ne
glecting to comply with them.
The six conditions which are re-
ALLY necessary to successful alfalfa
cultuN are as follows:
| ID The land must be we'll
drained.
| (2) 1t must be in a high state
of fertility.
CD 1t must be free of weeds.
(4) 1t must be so thoroughly
prepared that the seed bed will be
absolutely loose and mellow.
| (5) 1t must not be acid, or sour.
(6) 1t must be inoculated with
4 rn h
without which the alfalfa plant can
not thrive.
| Regarding drainage, it is mere
ly necessary that the gronud have
enough slope to drain the water off
lfreely. A hill side or top, or a gen
tie slope seem equally good: but
flat. low gronud that does not drain
freely will NOT do.
The grcmud MUST be rich. Land
that has been cropped until it is
worn out will not raise good alfal-
ia. Plenty Of manure is as impor-
tant for alfalfa as for any other
crop one can name. more SO.
| The young alfalfa plant is too del
icate and tender to fight weeds.
This is one reason why the late sun
mer august 1st to 20th) is the
best time to start alfalfa. The
years crop of weeds is mostly on.
OF the way. In tie spring it is diff
ferent
In preparing the seed bed, it
should be disced SEVERAL times
aascr being plowed Six or eight
times is not too many. The crop
hes to be sowed only cn,.e in s1y-
eral years and there is no uoed
| OF neglecting this point, which
many SCENT think is not impor-
tant.
i Alfalfa will not thrive in cold
soil. Most of the soil in Audubon
County begins to turn acid after
raising twenty to twenty-five crops.
This can easily be corrected by
scattering crushed or gronud lime
stona on tie lard at the rate Of
| about a ton to the acre, though We
| ry sour soil requires more. TITS
limestone can now be secured at
from 81. to $1.50 per ten laid
down. Not all soil requires this,
! but no chances should be taken
unless it has been first tested
with ,itmps paper and the lining
| for ID unnecessary.
| laocualtion with nitro-gathering
bacteria sounds hard but really is
not. The sell in any sweet clover
patch is filled with them. 1t is
, only necessary to dig this soil
up and scatter it carefully over the
! field to be Eut into alfalfa at the
rate of zoo or 800 IBIS. per acre.
1t should be fairly Well pulveirzed
so that will be distributed even
ly However, it is necessary to