Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-11-18
ALFALFA CROPS AN AID
TO LIVE STOCK FARMING
Milton's Better Farming Man Tells
of Result of Experiments Under
His Observation

The growing season of 1915 has
been the most remarkable in the
history of this district. With cold
and dry weather during the growing
season, Notwithstanding the fact of
this changeable condition one of the
largest crops of small grains has been
harvested in the history of the entire
state. This year has demonstrated
just little stronger than before the
value Of good tillage in giving larger
returns. In fact so much so that it
has made a difference between success
and failure. 1t has been very notice
able that the good tiller of the soil
has been getting large increase in
yield for the extra labor performed.
Our soil is great laboratory, where
active bacterial life is taking place.
So the time and method of tillage is
the important factor in getting the
best results from our fields.
A great deal of time has been given
to alfalfa culture in the eastern and
southern parts of Cavalier county,
with very good results. The growing
of alfalfa under the supervision of the
writer was started in 1912. Several
farmers had tried to grow alfalfa
previous to that time, but had met
with failure more or less. We learr
sometimes a great deal more from
failure than we do from success
There were two reasons why it failed
first from using southern grown seee
and the second was the lack of inocu
lation. The southern grown seed wa
the cause Of winter killing, and tn,
lack of incubation, the leaf woul,
lose its color and the second year th
field was worth little or nothing
Then in order to overcome thes
difficulties healthy alfalfa seed wa
introduced and since the introductio
of the more hardy alfalfa seed yer,
"a little winter killing has taken place
To over come the second difficulty
d tlat Of the lack OF incubation, tn
:. soil inoculation was introduced, whic
; has given excellent results and per
:, manent. Why should PRACTICAL
:. every farmer grow alfalfa? First
= because it will furnish the cheapes
and most valuable forage crop tha
can ne grown on the farm. Second
=. it enliches the soil by taking nitroge
=, from the sir an} placing it in the sol
=, in an available form for plant growth
Third, it puts the soil in good me
- chanical condition.
A letter was sent to several farmer
- in this district, asking them to Civ
=. an estimate yield per acre from thei
:, fields. Thirty eight farmers sent i
- - their estimate of yields of alfalfa a
=, follows: From thirty fields cut tw
times for hay an average yield wa
r r given of two and quarter tons pc
;. acre. From eight alfalfa fields Gu
three times an average yield of thre
and two third tons per acre was given
- The largest yield given was five an
one half tons and the lowest was tw
y, and three quarter tons from the thre
:, cuttings.
- While alfalfa is not grazing plan
- in the true sense of the term it doe
- provide the best kind of grazing fc
~ ~ swine. Where growing successful
y, in the district will never have bet
- - ter pasture plant for swine and tn
swine crop is becoming an importar
-. ~ one. Alfalfa hay fed to milch COW
,f when properly cut and cured has n
- superior. When alfalfa is cut earl
y, and cured in bright condition r
~. ~ fodder is superior to it. l believ
that the coming hay crop for this SEE
tion will be alfalfa.
TIL, T, Kristiansen.