The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-08-14
SPRING BEST TIME FOR NORTH
WEsT-sEED AFTER DANGER
OF FROST is PASSED.
GOOD SEED VERY IMPORTANT
Grimm or Montana Grown Seed
Best-Aave All Seed Tested for
Purity and Germlnatlon-Flve
Pounds Seed Enough In
Dry Sections - Don't
Plant Seed Too
Deep.
BY ]. q. HANEY, Agricultural EstenA
sion Department.

! department.
international Harvester Co. of New
Jersey.
There is little doubt that for the
Dakotas and Minnesota, alfalfa should
be seeded In the spring. Under favor
able moisture conditions In South Da
kota and southern Minnesota alfalfa
might be successfully seeded after
winter rye or wheat. though not with
out considerable risk from dry wealth
er and early frost.
The cost OF alfalfa seed, and the i'm
p~ortance of securing a good, strong
growth the first year, warrant giving
1t full possession Of the soil for the
entire season. Sharp frosts may In.
lure or even kill young alfalfa, hence
II Is advisable not TO seed until such
danger is past.
In cas- the land is known to be rath.
er foul, II should be double-disked
early, and all weeds kept down by
narrowing or disking until the middle
Of June or even later. This overcomes
the weeds and puts the soil in gooo
shape. There Is danger, however. in
seeding later than July LIST, that dry
weather will damage the alfalfa.
Amount and Method of Seeding.
There are more alfalfa seeds in one
pound than there are plants on the
sverage acre OF alfalfa that is three
fears old. This indicates that II is
not a question OF pounds OF seed, but
of securing good seed. and providing
conditions that will make the seed
grow to strong. vigorous plants.
Only good, strong, acclimated seed
should be sown-Grimm alfalfa holds
first place as to hardness, and Mon.
tana grown seed seems to give sat
isfaction In nearly every instance
There is undoubtedly a great differ.
ence In seed, though perhaps not so
much as some advertisements would
indicate. The experiment stations
should be consulted as to kind and
source of seed, and samples submitted
to them for purity and termination
tests.
In the dryer sections on a properly
prepared seed bed. five pounds of seed
per acre sown with a grain drill has
siven an ample stand. Eight to twelve
pounds is usually recommended for
lverage conditions IL the seed is drill
ID in; II SO n broadcast, one-halt
more seed should be sown. If a grass
ieeder is not available to use on the
irill, the seed should be mixed with
jome other fine material to give II
bulk and prevent leaking and drilling
100 thick.
Owing to variations in drills, a meas
ured quantity of the mixture should be
put la the drill and the area of land
seeded by this amount noted, SO as
% be certain that the proper amount
Of seed Is being put on. Fine screen
I'd sawdust, bran, cornmeal, or parch
ID millet may be used. Inoculated dirt
IS used when dried in the shade, but
Is rather hard on the drill. Two parts
of bran to one of seed, with drill sci
at one-half bushel of wheat per acre
should seed about the right amount.
Alfalfa seed should not be planted
very deep-the depth depending some
what on the soil. IL the seed bed Ii
in proper condition, sufficiently solid
and moist, one inch should be deer
enough. The seed bed should be sc
solid that the drill wheels do not sinh
In more thar an inch. which will ad
init OF regulating the depth of thu
disks accurately. The seed should no
be sown unless the moisture in the sol
Ia within one inch OF the surface
ia a waste of seed and work to plan
In a dry soil. Press wheels for firmini
very important.