The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-19

falfa is weedy or the ground is hard
the next spring, harrow h field. Aft
erwards, cultivate each spring by
means of some good tool if the soil is
baked hart. and needs loosening up. A
good growth should be left each fall.
Do not let stock run over the alfalfa
.felds during the fall. winter or early
spring,
When to Cut for Hay-Cut the al
falfa for hay when the new shoots
start from the crown. This is usually
when about one-tenth in blossom. II
the new shoots are high enough to be
cut off with the mower the next crop
is hurt. II it is dry new shoots may
not start and seed will form.
How TO Cure-The most valuable
part of the alfalfa plant is the leaves:
They contain more than half the food
value. In curing do not allow the
leaves to get dry and break of. 1t is
through the leaves that the moisture
from the stem ESCAPES, when they be-
come dry this moisture can not get out
so easily. AS soon as the alfalfa be-
gins to wilt. rake into winroWs where
1t will dry fully as fast as in the
swath and the leaves will be kept on.
AS soon as a handful can be twisted in
two without squeezing out any mols-
ture it is ready to stack even though
perfectly green in color provided the
EIOunu Is hIF oIIo LALU1C 40 1b %ANSA AAN1
moisture a. lain or dew on the leaves.
Manuring importantly gives the
plants a better start. A good way is
to apply rotted manure for the corn
or. r,otatoe5 or before the summer TIL
ling, that rreceeds the alfalfa.
Time to Sow-Sow in the latter part
OF May or June. The alfalfa plant
| when first Starting likes warm wealth
er, This also gives more chance to
terminate and kill the weeds. previ-
Gus to sowing.
Amount ard How to, Sow-Sow in
finch drills or in S0-inch rows de-
rending on the moisture conditions
Sow s to 10 pounds per acre IN the
6-inch drills and in the 3O-inch drills
| to 2 pounGs. Sow with a ar1ll, run
shallow, putting the seed into moist
| soil hut 40: over IL inches deep. Tt
make the drill sow this small amount
use reducing rings or dilute the alfalfa
| seed with corn meal, cracked corn OF
| any cracGed gram.
Inoculate-The alfalfa is del,endent
upon bacteria for it's welfare. II thes'
are not in the soil they need to be in
rnduced. This can be done by uslni
some sol. fre a well established al
aIfa field or sweet clover patch AM
covvine broadcast on a cloudy day. a
the rate of 100 to 200 pounds per acre
harrow IND. Five to ten pounds o
the screened soil for each acre can . .
| mixed with +he seed and sown with /
This lakes less soil as 1T lis IN contac
with the seed. 1t costs very iitLle !
~inoculate and in many cases It make
the difference between fallure an
success. I~noculatet
DO Not Use Nurse Crop-SoW alfal
fa alone Nurse crop shades the plant
and robs them of moisture. The SUD
den change from shade to sun Wne
the nurse crop is cut hurts the alfalIi
yariety-The Grimm is nardles
The next best is northern crown see
from well established old nelds.
Results from All Over the State.
The better farming section OF 70
Sorfh Dakota Experiment station ma
1,Ished alfalfa. In 1913. 84S helds we
crown 1nde. the direction or n coul
Ity representatives. The report for IL
shows tha3. when grown TOR 2 %
average from two cuttings was 2.S TOT
ner acre: when grown TOR seed, "a
average yield was lat pounds SEED.
uyas found that poor STANDS, pc!
yieId. ana winter killing were usual
dne to lack OF incubation. use OF nurs
crop, lack of preparation o. SEED Pc Pc
frampling by stock In TAI. elc. AZ
amoIirt Of seed sown varied from o.
r hounds pei acre in the 6-inch drill
and frorn 1 to 2 pounds ia the SO-ine
drills. 49,,