The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1915-04-09
ALFALFA ON DRY LAND
There Is No Crop More Profitable
for Hay.
Plant Is Deep-Rooted and Must Have
Soil In Which to Sink That Long
Tap Root-Subsoiier Is
Often Necessary.

Most of this western country can
grow alfalfa. To be sure there are
some failures. especially with those
just starting out. but when the condi-
tons necessary for the crop are known
1t will be grown with as much success
as the farmers to the east of us grow
clover. AS far as its value is con-
cerned there is no more profitable hay
crop. A ton Of alfalfa is worth in feed
value about what ton OF bran ia
worth. Say 1t Is worth SIS and that
an acre yields from one ard one-half
to three tons per acre, then the crop
would be worth from $3.50 to $45.0o
per acre. Easy figures, you say. Yes.
and also they are figures that anyone
with little effort can obtain.
Alfalfa Is a deep-rooted plant and
therefore 1t must have ground In
which it can sink that long tap root,
writes Leon H. Robbins In Dakota
no root can penetrate that, and II the
undersoil is hard 1t should be loos-
ened up as deep as possible. Some
times 1t is necessary to use a subsoil
er. Use field that Is clean and free
from standing water If the early
spring water freezes on the field it
will kill the alfalfa by freezing out
the crown of the plant.
II the field is not free from weeds
then the farmer should spend at least
one year killing out the weeds on the
t1eld. Summer-till the land to kill the
weeds. Work the field early in the
spring by disking it, and then pillow
the land so that the blowing will be
finished at least by the first of July.
Plow deep, and by that the writer
means plow so that the pillow sole will
be broken up. Till the field the re-
lnainder of the season to conserve
moisture and kill every weed. The
next season, disk shallow early in
spring to conserve the moisture and
work as often as Is necessary with
the disk or harrow until seeding time,
Seed in June, about the 10th to the
25th, after the ground is good and
warm so that the alfalfa will come up
quickly. In many places it is best
to SOW the crop in rows about "a
to 30 inches apart. II sown in rows
two pounds of seed per acre will do.
When sown broadcast, five pounds
Of good seed is enough per acre.
Do not clip the crop the first sea-
son unless necessary to kill the
weeds. Clipping sets the crop back
too much and it is also liable to
come too late SO that the crop will
not get enough growth for winter pro-
lection. 1t is best not to cut even a
hay crop too late. Or in other words,
late enough so that there is not time
between the cutting and cold weather
'or the crop to get six inches high.
This is also true about pasturing
Give the crop the best of care un-
I'll 1t 10 well established at least
Then the returns will be gratifying
Most all alfalfa fields will need in
oculating. This is best done by dirt
from some well-inoculated field. II dirt
ls used, 1t should be used on a cloudy
day at the rate OF not less than 200
pounds of dirt per acre. Scatter the
dirt by hand broadcast and harrow it
In at once. Fields that are not inocu-
lated never produce well, the plants
always look yellow and sickly. Maxi
mum yields are obtained from well.
TILED, well-inoculated alfalfa fields.