The Marshall republican., 1914-01-02
BEGINNING WITH ALFALFA.
Prepared by y. VI. Jordan, County
Agent q. y. Dept. OF Agriculture,
n Mgr. Pcttis Go. Bur. of Agri.

up 10 the present time | n n very
intense interest taken by a great
many people and IL would seem that
II Ia appropriate at this time 10 give
az clear and concise a discussion OF
the most approved methods. az Il Is
necessary TO begin thinking about al
falfa a considerable time before seed
time arrives.
II might DO well first 10 call atten-
tion 10 the chief causes OF failure
here failure has followed a trial. u
should be very evident since the plant
must live through the winter that n
we secure seed grown In n climate
much warmer than ours that within
n very few years at least the plants
will winter-kill. This will make II
necessary To secure seed al least as
far north as we are and II Is nc doubt
true that getting seed from n little
farther north will often give IN better
results In the end since the plants
appear To branch more heavily In the
north than they do In the south. To
get the very best results seed should
not be too old. That seed Wi. likely
grow ls not always enough. unless We
have vigorous growth We are likely to
meet with disappointment. Another
difficulty has been due TO the fact
that practically all bur drained lands.
unless they have been kept In n high
state OF fertility with pr
feeding crops upon them. are likely to
Ct ntain too much acid To make alfalfa
growing an entire success.
Another thing that has intcrferod
with results In lack OF cultivation
when this n factor r. neglected
weeks and grasses will eventually
take the crop and In many OF the
tighter soils the desperately hard
crust that forms on the ground will
Interfere with tho proper growth of
the plants and nj this time also n
small Insect known as tho leaf hop
per does much moro damage than at
any other time. when alfalfa ~
sown IN the fall we rarely have dlf-
nculty with the weeds the coming
season. the crust on the ground and
tho leaf hopper are likely TO give us
our worst trouble then. Cultivatlny
the alfalfa will usually correst both
OF these difficulties. Most persons
are afraid TO use means severe enough
To accomplish the desired results.
Alfalfa should he cultivated after each
cutting. except tho last one In the fall.
The first summer after fall seeding
n harrow should be used and where
tho ground In very hard the teeth
should be slanted not backward but
against the alfalfa. and possibly the
weight OF an a~yorage-sizod man
placed on the harrow and about four
good horses hitched TO Il. aud the
ground thoroughly tor mp. This win
remove any young weeks that might
bo starting and will break the crust
and It will be found that M alfalfa
haB been pulled out by the harrow.
Most persona IN beginning this work
are afraid they are giving the alfalfa
too severe punishment. but this In a
very difficult thing to do. After the
first year the cultivation may be done
with a disc. or better. an alfalfa reno.
yator made for that purpose. il
should be kept In mind that cultiva'
tion IL the worry life Of an alfalfa field
a good many perhaps. may desir,
to SOW alfalfa the coming spring. IN
such an event the ground should b,
winter plowed II possible, and yer,
deeply. aud II would appear that Tho
seeding should be done either rs soor
as the heavy frosts are past or leave
the seeding until rather late. In thu
former event the alfalfa would so
somewhat OF u start OF the weeds anI
In the latter the ground may b
disced two or three times killing sew
erai crops OF weeds. and usually thu
later planting will cause the alfalti
to make much o rapid growth.
Is frequently advisable TO SOW per
haps n bushel Of oats per acre wilt
the alfalfa. This should be true nm
less the ground Is exceptionally FIRE
from weeds. II this cat crop is cat !
should by all mean he cut while b
, the milk or dough. making hay rathe
than TO allow tho oats TO ripen. !
the oats are allowed to ripen and III
/ yround or the season should he ratt
/ er dry the chances are that the alfaif
: would perish afterward. Where n
nurse crop is used and especially
the season should be a little wet, III
crai grass and foxtail will give us a
. enormous amount Of trouble. rh