The Cecil Whig., 1914-07-18
ALFALFA
Its Requirements, How to Grow it,
and Why.

By A. H. JUDY, Judyville Farm,
Stafford Co., Va.
The first essential to successful
farming is good drainage to the depth
required by the crop to be grown. By
drainage is not meant watershed or
slope of surface, but porosity of soil,
which will allow water to percolate to
a proper depth with underground con-
ditions such that the unnecessary wat
er can readily find it's way to an out
let.
Alfalfa especially requires this
drainage condition to perfect degree
and also to a greater depth than most
plants. 1t can not live and thrive with
wet feet.
Alfalfa must have sweet soil. Acid
ity is poison to it's physical structure
and it is waste of time and money
to try to grow alfalfa in adverse sour
land conditions. Lime corrects this
state of affairs in the soil and can be
uSeu Ill llle IOl III VI oullNi ioNh,
ground raw oyster shell, or ground
raw mari, in almost unlimited large
amounts, without bad results. How
ever, from three to ten tons per acre
of any one of the above forms is about
what can prottably be used in the
preparation for alfalfa or any other
crop.
Barn manures land say barn man.
oil Oh l4
drawn from under cover) can be used
freely so long as the manure is efre
from foul weed and pest seed. Best
results are generally obtained from
applying manure to the land and plow-
ing it under as far as possible ahead
of the crop to be grown.
Commercial manures or fertilizers
can be used and are recommended.
Good results have been obtained from
the use of plain phosphorus, also from
the use of phosphorus and potassium,
and again from phosphorus, potas-
stun and nitrogen. In our operations
a combination fthe three elements of
plant food has been used in quanti-
ties of from three hundred pounds to
two thousand pounds per acre. Profit
able applications range from $50 lbs.
to one thousand lbs. per acre, with
five hundred lbs. of acid phosphate as
a base.
Good seed is positively necessary.
No scotsman should furnish any but
a good quality of clean alfalfa seed.
This should be adapted to the locality
of the field to be seeded. There is no
half way or middle ground on this
point. 1t is vital to success, and cheap
ia any price. Alfalfa is too valuable
and the seeding too expensive to allow
the use of anything but the best in the
procedure.
In my judgment good incubation is
as necessary as good seed. Soil has
always been used on our fields, care
fully sown by hand, and Immediately
narrowed in. ONE use the cultures
with success.
Begin now for crop next fall or a
year or two years hence. Plow well
and plow deep. Spread the lime care
fully on the plowed ground, any time
from six weeks before seeding, up to
seeding time.
Incorporate thoroughly with the
soil. Sow fertilizer from three weeks
ahead of seeding time to seeding time.
Inoculate carefully just before seed
ing. In the locality of Fredericksburg
from August 20 to Sept. 10, south of
that little later seeding may do. If
sown by hand, or hand machine, better
SOW half the seed each way. Harrow
in, pulverizing or slat roller can be
used after the harrow. If sown with
the alfalfa drill, the whole quantity
can be soWn at one operation. We use
80 pounds per acre of good seed
We grow alfalfa because it is the
best hay, tSee experiment reports, U.
S. and State) for horses, cattle, sheep,
hogs and poultry. 1t is money crop
that puts profit in your purse, and
improves your soil at the same time.
Every condition must be right to in
sure success Leaving undone a ne
cessary part is almost guarantee
for failure. Do it right or let it alone.
Turnd Gf IpIinaStinn