The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-09-16
THE BEST METHOD
OF GROWING ALFALFA.
(By Prof. Thos. Shawl

Nv HTOI. luOS, OudW.J
No method of growing alfalfa
in the Northwest will prove the best
for every part of the same, owing to
the great difference in the soil and
climatic conditions present in diff
erent areas. There are certain gen.
eral principals, however, that will
hoAd good practically in all parts of
the Northwest.
Among these principles are the
following: (1) Don't sow alfalfa
on new land until two or three crops
have been taken from it. (2) Aim
to sow it on land that has been
deeply plowed and that has been
carefully summer, fallowed the year
previous to sowing the seed, or that
has grown a cultivated crop we'll
cared for. (3) Sow pretty early In
the spring If the ground is clean,
but II, foul defer sowing as long as
it will be safe to do this and be sure
of stand, as this gives time for
further. cleaning of the land. az
Sow without nurse crop where the
rainfall is not more than is inches
! in a. year, hut where more than that
to SOW, nurse, crop thinly Is adj
missable, more especially II it is cut
for hay. (5) Sow with drill and
bury as lightly, as the moisture con-
ditions will permit. (6) If say 10
loads Of good farmyard manure are
applied to each acre before the
preparation, Of the land begins, no
no further steps need be taken as a
rule to secure incubation.
Regarding the above there will
probably be no difference of opinion
Regarding the following, however,
opinions. differ somewhat, even
among. those who are recognized as
authorities on growing this crop:-
First, with reference to the kind Of
seed to- SOW, second with reference
to the amount Of to SOW, and third
with reference to the spacing of the
rows.
With. reference to variety some
favor the Grimm. some the Baltic
and some other varieties, with ref
erence to hardness we have in all
common alfalfa when the seed was
grown as far north as the Dakotas
has proved sufficiently hardy. By
sufficiently hardy I mean that it has
never winter killed worth speaking
of during the six years that we have
been growing it in many places in
the Northwest, extending from the
border of the Red River Valley to
the Cascade Mountains.
With reference to the amounts to
3. sow we favor / to " pounds of
seed per acre, when it is sown in
rorows 3 feet distant, when sown in
rows IL to IA inches apart we favor
sowing not more than pounds per
acre of good seed where the annual
rainfall does not exceed IL inches,
not more than 4 pounds where it
does not exceed Is inches, not more
than pounds where it does not ex-
coed Is inches and not more than 6
to pounds anywhere in the alb
sence of irrigation in the North
western states. The old time advice
to sow Is to 20 pounds per acre was
almost crime.
With reference to the distance be-
tween the rows that will give the
best results when the rainfall is
above 10 inches and under say IS
we have found IL to ID inches the
most suitable, and when the rain
fall hovers around 10 inches prob
ably Is inches would be better. This
applies to growing the alfalfa for
hay. AS to the best way of growing
it for seed we are not as yet quite
decided. A large majority of those
who give advice on this subject
urge the farmers to grow it in rows
three feet distant in the areas re-
ferred to, even when growing it for
hay. 1t is my conviction that their
advice is not good. 1t may be, how
ever, when growing seed. The wis
dom of their advice is doubted for
the following reasOns:-1) When
the alfalfa is grown in rows - to
IA inches apart, our experience has
shown that in majority of instanc-
es more has been obtained per acre
though in exceedingly dry years this
may not prove true. ca A better
quality of hay has been obtained
as it does not gather dust in the
raking as in the other case. and it
can be cut more clearly, since none
of the stems lie along on the ground
(3) 1t is cared for with less labor.
The disk or renovator will take care
of it in the one case whereas in the
other the cultivator must be used.
Many are anxious to grow alfalfa
seed. Our suggestion is don't go
too quickly or extensively into this
business. 1t is one of those lines
that may be easily overdone. In
wet seasons growing alfalfa seed is
not good paying business.
STATE FAIR AUTO RACES.