Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1915-05-27

trip to England in 1913 to purchase
dual purpose stock and where the Short
Horns predominant. And there the
farmers, he stated, are raising stock for
milk and beef production. He stated
that he had to pay $500 apiece for dual
purpose cows, and they were not pedi-
greed stock either. He called them
English culis. But he stated that h..
found herds where they were getting
5000 pounds of milk per year from each
cow, and where the steers were excell-
ent as beef stuff, and stated that the
steer calf, of cow which gave 5000
pounds of milk, which he saw on his
trip, weighed 2940 pounds ait three
years. 1t is impossible to give every
point made in the talk but the writer
has sought to give brief outline.
Prof. Wilson on Alfalfa.
The talk of Professor Wilson was
devoted to alfalfa. He detailed his ex-
perience in raising alfalfa and corn in
western North Dakota ON the demon
stration farms of James J. Hill, in
which country grain raising proved to
be complete failure. He stated that
he met much the same experience as
elsewhere, the farmers stating that it
was impossible to raise either corn or
alfalfa. Now they are raising from
two to five tons of alfalfa per acre and
last year they obtained yield of rs
bushels OF corn per acre. This ex-
perience also extended to Montana,
Northern Idaho and Washington, and
in each section they found different
difficulties to overcome. The final
success was attained after series of
|experiments in ascertaining what the
needs and requirements Of the different
sections were.
For example he stated that in the
dry sections, where the precipitation
was Is inches and less, the proper way
to prepare for the alfalfa crop was
found to be in summer following to
prepare a seed bed and to conserve the
moisture. In this section where we
have plenty of moisture he advocated
fall plowing, and working the soil un-
til the 18th of May or the 1st of June,
following, to destroy the weeds that
start, and then sowing.
The difficulty experienced I'M the
different sections was further Illus
trated in the statement that he had
found that the amount of seed to be
sown should be governed by the local
ity. Here, he was of the opinion that
7 or pounds per acre should be sown
as there is plenty Of moisture and the
plants can stand thicker. In dryer Sec
tions it was found that l pound per
acre would produce all the plants the
land would stand on account of the
lack of moisture.
In the dryer sections the seed should
be planted deep, as deep as 21a inches,
the speaker stated. Here, ~ inches is
deep enough. Alfalfa should not be
seeded with nurse crop and to keep
the weeds from smothering and shading
it should be clipped couple of times
the first year. A good crop should be
obtained the second year if the same
has been properly seeded, and the
ground properly prepared.
Difficulties Experienced.
| The main difficulties experienced in
raising alfalfa, as established by Mr.
Wilson, and the experience of those in
his audience who had raised alfalfa, are
proper soil innoculation, and weed pests
The soil must be properly innoculated
to produce alfalfa. That is the plant
will not thrive unless there is present
/ in the soil, the nitrogen gathering
bacteria, SO essential to the welfare OF
this important forage plant. This can
be stimulated, Mr.. Wilson stated, in
some cases by blowing under coating
of manure. Where this will not work
scattering soil from a field which is
already innoculated will remedy the
matter, and the state agricultural ex
pertinent stations and the U. 8. de-
partment Of agriculture win furnish
cultures with instructions for their use
To ascetain whether the soil is in.
noculated sufficiently, pull up the
growing plants and look for the nodules
growing on the fine roots. IF these
are not present the soil is not prop.
erly innoculated.
/ Cultivattng Alfalfa.
Cultivating alfalfa, may not be the
proper term, but this is assuredly the
method recommended by Mr., Wilson
He advocates going over the alfalfa
field in the spring with q harrow On
disc to loosen the soil around the plants
and to destroy weeds. This should al
SO be done after each cutting. The dise
should be set so as not to injure the
plants. OF course after the plants have