El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-14
LFALFA has been known in

\ United states for upwards Of a
hundred years. yet notwith-
standing the proximity of the Rio
; Grande valley to Mexico. where the
plant has been grown since the time OF
/ Cortez. no alfalfa was grown until 1861.
/ In this year. a small amount OF seed
was brought from Chihuahua and sOWn
near the protecting walls of the first
b Fort Bliss, where FL PasO, Tex, now
stands. by James MagOffin, who had
been the emmissary Of president POLK
( at the time Of the Mexican war
! This trial did not result in a per
maneut stand and il was not until
sos that the first successful field was
started at Ysleta, y miles below II
: PasO. The writer located this field and
! established its age in 1908, finding II IN
! a neglected condition but still prOduc-
; ing Some Of the plants had attained
diameter of 10 inches across the crown
with upwards OF $50 stems per plant
! The first seeding Of alfalfa 1858, IN
the Mesilla valley. New Mexico, was
still in good condition in 1910 Alfalfa
Z was introduced into northern New
( Mexico in 1867; into Colorado in 1862
Preparation Of the Land.
To start an alfalfa field IN the val
( lev Of the Rio Grande. il is usually
! first necessary TO level the land well 10
avoid the loss and extra expense that
} necessarily follow sowing the seed IN
D land which does not irrigate readily. II
killed by water collecting there when
| irrigating; the high places not receiv-
{ ing sufficient water and yielding poor
/ ". besides giving weeds and grass the
opportunity to crowd out the aflfalfa-
Z Furthermore. if inequalities exist IN
the fields more water and time are
! consumed in covering the surface II
/ the lateral bitches have too much fau,
it is difficult TO turn the water into
/ enough lands at one time for speedy
. irrig-ar ton
II is consequently the practice to SOW
some annual crop such as wheat or oats
the first year on land intended Tor a
permanent alfalfa field. as much to de-
termiue the low and high spots as 70
get the soil into more responsive con-
ditiOn- Ordinarily after uelds nave
, been given the initial levelng'
there is more or less subsistence. IN the
places which have been filled in. after
the first irrigation is applied Anotner
factor often overlooked is that where
small mounds have been pulled down
there is lack Of acratiOn and too much
inertness in these uncovered spots to
allow the alfalfa TO make due growth.
When much leveling has been done, II
NAV require several years before these
uncovered areas will produce well; IN
. fact the experienced eye can readily
distinguish such spots IN growing
fields. incubation Of land or seed has
not been found necessary
Ready for Seeding.
ouEhly leveled. perhaps farmed a sea
son and releveled where necessary, II
is ready for seeding It is, however,
first laid off into lands with wide Dor
ders. the area varying with the slope
Of the land Most Of the seeding IS
done by hand. yet those who have tried
drilling the seed in have little desire
TO revert 10 brOadcasung. Some grow
ers sow at the rate Of from Y 10 -
pounds per acre. others as high as 80
pounds In land that has been Weedy-
the practice is TO sow nurse crop with
the alfalfa. the idea being that II IS bet
ter to harvest a crop Of grain than one
Of weeds and to secure some return
from the land when making the first
cutting Of the new alfalfa One OF the
most successful alfalfa growers claims
to be in favor Of nurse crops for alfalfa
so he sOws IS pounds OF seed Tor the
stand and Is pounds more for the nurse
crop. in this manner allowing the young
alfalfa plants TO compete with each
other instead OF with the ranker STOW
ing grain. Sowing early in the fall is
preferable as then the alfalfa starts
soon enough in the spring to outgroW
the weeds.
The seed having been sown. water Is
turned onto the land until the entire
surface has been covered Should there
be moisture enough IN the soil or
should rain fall after sowing. II IS
preferable to allow that 10 suffice as
pack a great deal harder than even a
heavy rain. The second irrigation
should not be applied too early as the
delicate seedlings are easily killed
especially when the water IS muddy or
the weather very warm Some farmers
delay irrigation uuntil the plants are
several inches high and bear at least
three leaves. After the stand is as
sured. water may be applied with safe
y. providing too much is not used
Unless sufficient rain falls, 1t Is best I
10 irrigate alfalfa fields every two
weeks. twice for each cutting As many
as three irrigations are given in the
vicinity Of FL PasO before the first cut
ting is made in the spring. the number
depending somewhat on the danger I
from probable late frosts- 1t is not best
to stimulate the growth OF alfalfa dur
ing a late spring with an early irrl- I
cation as the new growth is apt 10 be |
injured by frost In central New MeNl- .
co. one irrigation Will produce a full :
crop on most Of the lands, though on
the higher ones not so near the water
table, more irriEauonS are needed
Moving and Curing.
Moving is begun when the new I
growth starts from the crowns or when /
the plants are in 10th bloom Most OF |
the Mexican farmers allow the growth Z
to approach three-fourth bloom before (
cutting and as a result they ordinarily |
produce a woody hay lacking in Ieati- I
ness. on large farms. It is advisable to !
start the IlrsL cutting as SOON dS Il 7
few blooms begin TO appear, otherwise /
much Of the crop will have gone TO seed I
before all Of the moving can be com !
pleted- The subsequent cuttings viii I
start blooming in the order in which I
the first cutting was made.
Half a day TO a day in the swath is I
usual, depending upon the weather. It is !
allowed TO remain in the windrow a j
day or two and then is either raked !
into cocks or they are put up with the !
fork Should the weather be unsettled /
and il is desired to bale the crop with /
out first stacking it. most Of the cur !
ing may be done in the windrow as it !
is quicker Allowing the hay to cure !
naturally produces a better quality. !
without any greater expenditure Of 4
time or labor, than by leaving it TO ]
be dried by sheer force of the suns /
heat
BaiinE the Hay.
The crop should not lie in the swath 4
until the leaves have been killed. but 4
only until they are well wilted as then /
in the WindroW and cock they will ma ]
terially assist in drawing the moisture /
from the stems. The writer has often. /
when rain threatened newly cut hay. /
had il thrown into small compact cocks /
and left until thoroughly cured when 4
~g,s. f..TH