The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-01-28
ALFALFA ON DRY LAND
Prepare Soil One Year Before the
Seed Is Sown.
Deep Flowing ls important and Il 10
Essential That Moisture Should
Be Conserved to Greatest
Extent Practicable.
uBy PROF THOMAS st,.v,

tBy PROF, THOMAS SHAWL
AIialfa may be grown In nine-tenths
OF the land in the northwestern states.
providing the land is properly pre-
pared. the right kind OF seed Is sown.
and the seed Is properly put into the
ground and the plants suitably cared
for.
The preparation of the soil should
begin one year before the seed IL
sown when the plants are sown on
dry land. The object sought is. first.
TO clean the land. and second. to con-
serve the soil moisture as far as this
may be possible. These objects may
be secured by carefully summer fall
lowing the land when Il does not blow.
or by growing a clean. cultivated crop
on It, and by growing corn crop
where the soil does not blow.
Before plowing the land for the sum-
mer fallow or the cultivated crop. not
less than dozen good loads Of farm
yard manure should be applied to the
land, which ought to be plowed deep
ly' Deep plowlng is important, except
on light. sandy land. II is essential
that the land shall be kept clean and
That the moisture shall be conserved
In II TO the greatest extent practical
BILE. Whether the land is summer fal.
lowed or a cultivated crop is grown.
II should not be again plowed before
sowing the seed. In the early spring,
however, 1t ought to be disked. but not
deeply, and then narrowed The har-
row may be used further at intervals
before the seed Is sown. This main.
tains a dust mulch and destroys weeds
that may sprout.
The seed sown should be northern
grown. Turkestan. Grimm and what
Is called Northern Montana are all
good. Northern Montana is another
name for northern grown All of
these are good when they can be OBJ
tained true TO name. and all are suf-
iiciently hardy.
The seed should be sown with the
drill and without nurse crop. It
should be buried from one to two
inches. When thus sown Il comes up
evenly. When sown broadcast II is
not buried evenly. and II dry weather
follows the stand will be uneven 10
the drill will not SOW the seed alone.
It may be mixed with something. as
dry soil, free from grit. or wheat bran.
Where the rainfall is not more than
10 inches In year. six pounds OF good
seed on well-prepared land is enough.
Where the rainfall is not more than
lS to 10 inches. II may be better to
SOW seven or eight pounds. n the
plants are tco mahy for the moisture
In the land. the roots will not go
down sufficiently. and the yield OF hay
will be oorrespondingly reduced.
The plants may be narrowed. 10
necessary. when from Ave TO six
inches high. II weeds are present or
II the tops OF the plants should lose
color. the mower should be run over
the ground with the cutterbar set SO
high as not to clip the crowns OF the
plants. What is thus mown should be
left on the land to mulch the same.
Before the arrival of winter the plants
will be high enough from the subse-
quent growth to hold the snow that
falls for winter protection.
When the plants are one year old,
they may be disked lightly with profit
to the crop. Every year subsequently
the crop should be disked more or less
severely in the early spring and under
some conditions after each cutting.
The disking loosens and aerates the
soil and allows the moisture to pene-
trate more deeply. The harrow should
follow the disk.
II is probable that seed will be
grown by sowing the alfalfa in rowe
from 80 to AZ inches distant and
cultivating as for corn when thus,
sown. two or two and half pounds
OF seed per acre should be ample.