Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-04-08
PLAN to En0CuEate Field of Alfalfa
Continued From Last Week.

Continued From Last Week. {
When seeding time arrives measure
out a bushel of this soil, dump it on
the floor, and mix with it the amount
of seed to be used or n acre,
whether it is 5 pounds or Is pounds.
] have found in seeding by this
method that from 6 pounds to Is
pounds to the acre gives a plenty
thick enough to stand; with perfect
termination and distribution of seed
this amount should give a stand of
from 35 to As plants to the square
foot, Theoretically. Practically, it
will give about 10 to Is plants, but
that is certain enough, Less seed is
required for a good stand by this
method, than where broadcast seeding ,
is used. The mixing of the dirt and
seed is accomplished by shoveling back
and forth four or FIVE times and is not
, difficult. Next clean out your drill
thoroughly, blowing out with bellows,
or an auto pump, any material which
may have lodged in the bottom of the
feeds Let your drill a trifle more
open than for seeding a bushel of bar
ley. Put your mixture of seed and
dirt into the drill box and start out
with your drill set to place the seed
not more than an inch or so under the
surface, but Of course in compact,
! moist earth. For the first acre the
drill must be watched to see that you
are getting no more or no less than
the right amount to the acre, as all
drills vary. After the drill is once
set, SO that it is seeding right, fill up
THE. seed box and let her go. 1t is,
however, we'll to leave the cover of
the box open, as you can then telleif
all the feeds + working properly,
freely and evenly, and sometimes, as
the drill gets searly empty, it will be
necessary to keep evening the dirt in
the box SO that all the feeds are
covered. 1t is also a good plan to
take along a heavy hammer, and when
one of the feeds are not working free
ly, tap above it on the outside of the
drill box, to start it again.
Right here ] want to mention the
most important point in the whole
( process and upon which the success of
this whole method of seeding depends,
and that is the matter of the drill
used in seeding. Not all makes of
drills Will seed dirt successfully.
will not go into the reasons why this
is true, but will make this statement,
that much trouble will be experienced
in attempting to seed dirt through a
Monitor, Hoosier or Superior drill.
You will have no trouble with a Van
Brpnt or a Kentucky drill. If this is
kept in mind you will ave yourself
much trouble. l have come to this
conclusion only after three years of
experience with hundreds of different
drills of the above makes. Also much
prefer a shoe drill for alfalfa seeding
by this method. 1t is we'll to remem-
Der not to harrow the field after the
drill, no matter whether a disc or shoe
drill is used, unless peculiar conditions
make it absolutely necessary.
The advantages of seeding by this
method are apparent to all. 1t is
possible for you to get a more even
distribution of seed than is possible
by many other methods, because the
dirt makes an ideal medium with
which to mix the seed. The inocula-
ton material is placed under the
ground, in direct contact with the
seed, where the bacteria can at once
fasten themselves to the roots on the
termination Of the alfalfa plant.
Seeding under ground in drills is as
desirable for alfalfa as for all small
grains, provided shallow seeding is
followed.
/ have kept accurate data in several
instances OF the cost of obtaining and
preparing this inoculation material,
and find that it varies between n
and two dollars per acre. Most of
this expense is labor, which can ordi-
narily be worked in at odd times and