Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-04-04
alfalfa AGAIN

l would feel more like philan-
thropist and | would dream
sweeter dreams if | could helm
every farmer in the above-named
territory to become an alfalfa
grower in 1913. I would go out
to his farm and help him pick
the right place to make the
start, tell him how to prepare
and SOW and talk over al the
details that so many overlook
and some consider unimportant
and consequently fail. Growing
alfalfa rank and green on five
out of every fifty tillable acres
reached by The Stockman aad
Farmer, and that alfalfa fed to
livestock, would put bloom on
things different from any hap
pemng in agriculture up to date.
Alfalfa-fed farm horses are
fat and sleek. Cows give milk
and brood sows are wintered
cheaply, young hogs grow large
and ewes raise big lambs and
shear big feeces on the alfalfa
farm. Here is safe plan to fol
low almost anywhere 10 establish
an alfalfa field
A SAFE PLAN.
First don't try to grow alfalfa
where there is a hardpan that
roots can't penetrate or where
there is ledge of rock within
Is inches of the surface, unless
you have no other place to grow
it. 1t will grow there but its lie
will be shortened. Alfalfa won't
grow worth while in wet land.
Neither will any other crop.
Drainage either natural OF
artificial it must have. We
sometimes entertain the idea
that hill lands need no artificial
drainage. This is often a mis-
take. Many times alfalfa is has
tened to an early death by SOW
ing on upland where there are
spouty places. Abundance of
humus, vegetable matter in the
soil, abundance of lime and
incubation are the other soil
requirements. If you have not
made the first attempt at alfalfa |
growing will you try this way |
next spring? Don't try too large |
a field the first time and don't |
plough q bluegrass sod and bet
ter not q timothy sod for alfalfa.
These grasses and others are
inclined to take possession of
the alfalfa. Better SOW where
the land has been growing
cultivated crops. Give the plot
a liberal application of stable
manure. Plough this under as
you would preparing for corn.
Plough just a little deeper than
ever before. Early in spring
disk and harrow thoroughly
Make a seed-bed good for
potatoes. Don't do any more
deep working after this but at
short intervals, say once a week,
harrow thoroughly two or three
inches deep. Do this for six
weeks. If the soil lacks lime
sometime during this six weeks
put on from 1,500 to 1000 lbs.
of burnt lime OF two tons ground |
limetsone per acre. The amount
of lime should be governed by |
the need. Where clover fails re-
peatedly and sorrel grows lime
is much needed. These numerous
borrowings will help to sprout
and kill the weed seed in the
surface soil.
JUNE SEEDING.
This six weeks of cultivation
will end from the first to middle
of June, sometimes a little later.
Now SOW the alfalfa seed alone
without nurse crop, Is pounds
of good seed on firm fine seed
bed will make a thick stand.
Many good growers advise more.
If $50 or 800 lbs. of acid phos- |
plate or bone meal is applied at
sowing it will sometimes double
the yield. All soils need phos-
phoruS. All soils do not need
incubation or at least in some
places success has followed SOW
ing without incubation, but
there is no way of telling
whether the alfalfa bacteria are
present or not in soils that have
not grown alfalfa, so we would
inoculate to make sure. Get soil
from q successful alfalfa field,
or soil where sweet clover is
growing will do, and SOW on the
new alfalfa field; 100 pounds
per acre, perhaps more would be
better. Sow broadcast or sift
and sow with fertilizer attach
ment on grain drill.