Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1914-02-13

NmA ~ AitthU tAa kNA anu hOt ~ PiuAhPs
II is yellow or an olive green. There
are several varieties Of seed, with q
great variation In price according to |
the variety. Experiments at the Wis
consin station show that OF all north |
ern grown seeds not grown under irri- |
CATION methods the preference was for |
the seed showing best termination re- |
CARELESS Of variety.
Caution should be exercised as to |
the location Of the field. Alfalfa can |
be grown on wide variation of soils, |
yet on Its first trial on farm It Is |
best to SOW on high, well drained land. |
A rich clay loan on top of gravel or |
limestone Is the ideal location, but IL |
will grow on all types OF soil, varying |
from q heavy clay to q medium sandy |
loan, II other conditions are favorable. |
A gentle slope should be selected. On
level land water will gather on the
surface from rains or melting snow,
and II freezing weather follows ice
will form and smother the plants. The
fields will then become patchy and
should be plowed and reseeded. For
the same reason a creek or river bot
tom that Is subject to overflow should
not be selected, as the alfalfa plants,
IL submerged for few hours. will die
from suffocation. Land that has the
water line only two or three feet be-
low the surface should be avoided, as
the plant needs well drained soils.
The natural home for alfalfa Is on
limestone soils or soils that have
goodly supply OF carbonate OF lime in
them. No matter how favorable other
conditions may be, II the soil Is sour
and gives strong acid reaction 1t will
be necessary to neutralize the acidity
to some extent before IL will be possi-
BILE to get the best results.
Acid land can occasionally be deter
mined by plants such as sheep sorrel
and mares tail that thrive thereon. II
Gun always be determined by testing
with blue litmus paper which can be
obtained from the druggist. Take some
moist earth from few inches beneath
the surface Of the ground and press
II firmly over strip of litmus paper.
Do not handle the litmus paper when
the hands are moist, as the perspira-
ton from them may cause the paper to
show an acid reaction when no acid
Is present in the soil. After the paper
has remained In the soil for ten or
fifteen minutes, II 1t has changed In
color from blue to pink or red, the
soil is acid, and this acidity should be
corrected to a certain degree before
alfalfa can be grown to advantage.
The beginner should SOW only small
acreage until he has studied the condi-
lions Of the farm In relation to this
crop. One or two acres are sufficient to
young sod the previous year and then
run to potatoes. corn, peas or some
root crop where clean culture was
| practiced Is most suitable. This
should be fall plowed seven or eight
inches deep, so as to have q. deep. mel.
low seed bed.
In the early spring run the disk cyel
the land and then follow with fine
tooth harrow at weekly intervals until
about June /. so the weeds will sprout
and be killed. The alfalfa seed is then
sown without any nurse crop, using
twenty pounds per acre. The practice
Of sowing alfalfa with a nurse crop Is
being displaced by the method of sow.
Ing the seed alone and with much bet
ter results. Where the land Is ex
tremely weedy 1t is advisable to sum
mer fallow and sow to alfalfa the first
week In August. II weedy t.he land
should be plowed after the crop is re
moved and fine tooth harrow run al
intervals to kill weeds through the lat
ter part OF summer and early fan. Fol
best results one ton of earth lyer acre
should be scattered immediately pre-
ceding the sowing of the alfal IN seed
| Occasionally the alfalfa will ccrme int
bud and hesitate to blossom. Sprouts
will then Immediately start at the base
Ii should be cut when those con dltioni
prevail, even though no blossoms ap
| pear.
In the afternoon of the same day o
| cutting II weather has been favorable
the alfalfa can be raked and put int,
small cocks. The cocks should not b.
left standing In the field more thar
two or three days during wet walthe
without moving or the alfalfa plant
| tue COChS Will
or completely smothered. BY running
q pitchfork into a cock of alfalfa nea
the bottom one can easily move tn
pile. II alfalfa is exceedingly greer
when cooked or rainy weather sets Il
IL will heat unless the cocks are open
ed every day or two. In favorabl
weather no more difficulty win be ex
perienced In curing alfalfa than In cur
ing heavy growths Of clover. A mucl
better quality will be secured II tn
crop is cured under hay caps.
The Importance and popularity of tn,
plant are such that the present acreag,
in Wisconsin win probably double IL
the next three years. For the pas
twelve years the department OF agron
omy OF the Wisconsin experiment sta
tlon has carried on experiments ant
issued bulletins bearing upon the .cul
>>%%%>%>>>>%N>>>>>> ~