The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-02-13
UNIRRIGATtD ALFALFA
What Can Be Done With the Plant in
Dry Soils.

Dry Soils.
Professor Thomas Shaw, in farm de-
partment of San Francisco Chronicle,
says: 1t cannot be said that the grow
ing of alfalfa in dry areas is as yet
fully understood. Many things have
been learned about it's growth, but
some very important things are yet to
be learned. In some parts of the dry
belt it will succeed when grown in
the ordinary way. In other parts it
will not succeed when thus growth.
BY growing in the ordinary way is
meant growing it SO that the plants
will occupy all the land as contrasted
with the method of sowing in rows
far distant from one another.
In nearly all areas in the northwest,
where the precipitation is Is inches
and upwed in year, alfalfa may be
successfully grown, though the plants
should occupy all the soil, providing
not more than five pounds of good
seed are sown per acre. From one to
two good cuttings may be secured
each year where this crop is properly
managed, which will yield from one
and one-half to three tons of good
hay in a year. Where the rainfall is
less than fifteen inches, there are
someareas in which one good cutting
may be looked for every year, but
there are other areas that will not pro-
duce a crop worth cutting in a dry
year when the plants occupy all the
land, no matter how the crop is cared
for. The plants will live, but they will
only make feeble growth. The soon
er that this fact is widely understood
the better, as those who understand it
will be the more ready to SOW the
crop in rows far enough apart to adj
NIT of cultivating between them This
is the surest way of growing alfalfa,
even when growing it for hay, where
the precipitation falls below fifteen
inches. There are some soils, however,
that are SO riable for goodly dis
tanee from the surface that they will
give crop every year, but where the
subsoil is very hard and dry and be-
fore it has been broken up it will not
produce this in a dry year when sown
broadcast
The following facts, based upon ex-
perience, have been learned about the
sowing of alfalfa in dry areas: Cd
That stand of plants may be obtain
ed readily on nearly all northwestern
soils, but this does not furnish sure
guarantee of paying crop in the alb
sence of row cultivation. (2) That
while inoculating the soil is in all in
stances safe thing to do, it is not alb
solutely necessary on all soils 90
That the plan is not good which sows
alfalfa on newly broken land, howso-
ever well broken, or on shallow pIow-
ed land, though the same may
hayy n.1y-I
(4) That the aim should be to SOW the
crop on land that has been thoroughly
cleaned by careful cultivation the sea-
son before sowing it. 60 That lib
eral incorporation of farmyard ma
nure in the soil the year before sowing
is very helpful to the growth of the
plants. co That not more than five
to six pounds of good seed should be
Sown per acre on the broadcast plan,
and not more than two pounds when
sown in rows thirty-siX inches distant
from one another. CD That except on
soils that drift and on lands subjected
to irrigation, the seed should be sown
without nurse crop. tS) That stir
ring the soil with the disk or some
other suitable implement in the spring
is very helpful to the growth of the
plants when sown on the broadcast
plan. 90 That when sown for seed,
the plants should be thinned in some
way in the rows where the most album
dant production of seed is to be looked
for Q0) That the aim should be to
have the crop go into the win
ter with top growth not less than
four to six inches high
When alfalfa is to be sown in dry
areas the procedure should be in out
line as follows: Either summer fall
low the land or grow on it some Guilt
waited crop, and give clean and thor
ough cultivation This is done the year
before sowing the seed. The land
should be plowed deeply, and on most
soil subsoiling in addition will be a
very decided help. If a liberal sun
ply of farmyard manure has been sup
piled to the land before it is plowed
the condition will be so far improved
The following spring the land should
be dlSced, but only to a moderate
depth, and the disc followed with the
harrow. The harrow should be again
used, and again if necessary, before
sowing the seed early in June, the
season when showers are most likely
10 fall. The seed should be put in with
the grain drill, all the tubes running,
or every alternate tube in use, only a
limited number according to the plan
decided on. If sown in rows to be Gull
tivated like corn, twenty-six inches
between the rows will be found a con-
yenient distance for easy cultivation.
A few inches one way or the other In
the distance between rows does not