The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-05-13

VVIITHOUT in any manner speak
w ing in sighting way of any
or all other legumes in their
places in the rotation of field crops
of the state, | will address myself
particularly to this greatest of all
forage plants, this Queen of Crops,
alfalfa.
My subject Is "The Place of AL
falfa in Kentucky Agriculture. The
question is, has it place in the
permanent agriculture of this state,
place in the proper rotation of
crops? Has timothy an established
place? Has clover proper position
in our rotation? These questions
answer themselves; every Kentucky
farmer knows the necessity of these
two crops from childhood; they are
part of all of our farm-crop rota-
tions. Our horses and cattle need
both timothy and clover hay and our
soils require the rejuvenation of a
crop of clover regularly Now the
point is, has Kentucky room for an
other meadow crop in our perma-
nent agriculture, another legume or
clover that claims for itself more
permanence than red clover? Red
clover is good enough for Kentucky,
but for some reasons, not now dis
cussed, except by inference, red
clover has failed us for years and is
growing more and more shy, there
fore claim we must have something
to take its place, and if we can find
a crop that is as good or better in
every way, more permanent, lasting
for five, 10 and Is years, instead of
two, a clover that will produce one
or two tons at cutting and three to
four cuttings per year and that will
deposit more nitrogen and humus in
our soils than clover, then it is evil
dent Kentucky farming must have
this clover, if it will grow in our
state. That clover, gentlemen, is al
falfa, and it will grow on every farm
in Kentucky, that is, it can be made
to grow here. This is broad state
ment that alfalfa will grow on every
farm, because you and have known
men who have tried it and failed,
others have seen it tried and seen 1t
fail.
But for the good of Kentucky ag-
riculture many of you men present,
and hundreds of others in our great,
old state, have proved that alfalfa
will grow here, and grow bounteous-
ly, splendidly and yield enormous
crops Of the finest hay in the world.
We must have more faith 1t
takes faith and lots of work, too, to
grow alfalfa, but it pays, as many of
you know.
Kinds of Soil.
Alfalfa loves a deep loan full Of
humus. 1t will do best on such a
soil, but it can be made to grow on
almost any field in the state of Ken
lucky. / have seen it grow at its
best on the alluvial lands of our
rivers, where it seems all the ele-
ments necessary for its production
are present in the soil. / have seen
1t do we'll on the level rich loan soil
of Central Kentucky, as doubtless
all of you have seen. 1t is growing
well also in the western part of the
state, and in the southern part, on
all characters of land. There are
hundreds of acres of 1t growing on
the steep hillsides and mountain tops
of Eastern Kentucky. Alfalfa is not
over-particular of the character Of
land, just so the necessary elements
are in that soil.
Preparation of the Soil.
The first requisite that alfalfa de-
mands is drainage, the next Is lime
and then phosphate. If any lands
have these requisites, then alfalfa
will grow there. If they are defi-
cient in one or more of these require
ments, then the land must be sup
piled with them.
After drainage lime is the first
necessity and this must be in the
land in abundance. Four tons of
ground limestone per acre Is good,
six tons better and eight tons still
better. For ordinary use, however,
four tons per acre is sufficient, and
this should be put on after the land
has been thoroughly broken in the
Spring, broadcast and it can be best
dPPiieu Will llueSlone SpTeaueT.
The lime should then be thoroughly
disked into the ground | should
have said in the beginning that the
preparation for alfalfa should start
at least one year ahead Take, for
instance, field that will be planted
in alfalfa in August; it should be
sowed to rye or rye and vetch or
crimson clover. This clover crop
should be turned under in the Snrinp