The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-08-13
ALFALFA ON DRY FARM
One Of the Best Drought Resist
ing Plants Known.
Cause Of Many Failures In semlArId
Sections ls Shallow Flowing
Good Stand Obtained by Plant
Ing In Deep Seed Bed.
(Ry e. r. PARsoNs.l

| Wy ". ". TAAh6OENO.)
Years ago alfalfa was considered
as sort of watercress that had to
be irrigated every few days. The
fact is, however, that 1t is one of the
best drought resisting forage plants
known. It has been the salvation OF
dry central Asia and also of the
South American deserts, where 1t sell
dom rains. It is considered so valu-
able in Peru and Chile and other coun-
tries adjoining that 1t is often raised
In seed beds and planted out by hand
in valleys where there is no rain but
some damp soil on account of under
flow from the mountains.
Many plant alfalfa in the dry farm
ing states and fail. The reason is usu-
ally the same-shallow blowing. The
art of obtaining good stand of alfalfa
lies in planting 1t In q deep seed bed.
In dry farm paper some years ago
remember reading that a good way to
plant alfalfa was to pillow the sod two
to three inches, roll It, run a slanted
harrow over 1t and then put In the
seed. This was the worst advice that
could be possibly given to a dry farm
er Unfortunately, many believed it
and lost their work and their seed.
Some obtained a poor stand which
eventually died out, but few who
were farming over wet ground man.
aged to raise little. Alfalfa planted
in shallow plowed land seldom
amounts to anything, even If stand
is obtained, which seldom happens
except in very wet year.
Many will say Don't plant alfalfa
on Sod" This is all right as far as It
goes, but when these people talk sod
they mean the shallow breaking that
they dfe accustomed to.
In countries where 1t blows, alfalfa
should always be planted on sod, but
1t should be plowed as deeply as pos
sible-eight to ten inches at least, and
we'll worked up on the surface.
The sod, when plowed under deeply,
holds the moisture, and the old roots
hold the soil together and prevent 1t
from blowing.
The deeper the seed bed for alfalfa
the sooner It becomes established and
the heavier the crops will be as long
as the field lasts.
Almost any soil will raise alfalfa
If deep enough, but If there is any
rock or hardpan near the surface It
will not amount to much unless there
Is some seepage or permanent mois-
ture to help It out.
When planting alfalfa on land which
has been previously cropped, or on
the new break, It is better in either
case to plow in the fall as deeply as
possible and winter fallow the land
for moisture as described in a late
issue. Nevertheless, If the winter has
been wet, and the field contains about
two feet or more of moist earth from
the surface down, II will be quite safe
to plant in the spring, provided the
field is plowed as soon as the frost
is out Of the ground and allowed to
settle until planting time in May.
Land plowed either in the fall or
the spring should be disked and har.
rowed alternately until both fine and
firm. The amount of seed to plant to
the acre depends. on local conditions.
If every seed comes up and pro.
duces a profitable plant, four to Ave
pounds to the acre would be plenty.
but the ordinary seed we buy seldom
terminates over so per cent, therefore
we may as we'll double this amount
and plant 10 to 10. and If the condi-
tons are unfavorable or the seed |
planted by hand and narrowed in, 1t |
Is much safer to plant Is than IL.