Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-04-18
Raising Alfalfa In Maine.
A SUBJECT LITTLE UNDERSTOOD, BUT
WHICH MAY MEAN MUCH.

A SUBJECT LITTLE UNDERSTOOD, BU.
WHICH NAY MEAN MUCH.
As there Is 90 little real knowledge re
garding the raising of alfalfa in thii
state, which may be an important mat
ter to the farmers, the following article
written by Commissioned Of Agriculture
w. T. Guptill for q recent number OF tht
Department Bulletin, IL given In full.
Whether alfalfa could be raised In the
State OF Maine has been mooted ques-
tion for number of years. It ID, there
fore, the object of this article to present
some evidence Of what has been done
and can be done toward the successful
raising Of alfalfa in the state OF Maine by
men who have been conducting expert
ments with the determination to sue
ceed.
The value of alfalfa as feed crop led
many to try it, at first thinking perhaps
It could be as easily grown as crop OF
rye or Of witch grass. This particular
class of alfalfa growers has ceased to at
tempt to grow alfalfa, whereas others
that believed In It's actual feed value
undertook to accomplish Its growth,
and very many farmers are known to
this Department to have excellent fields
of alfalfa who feel 1t too much ofa bur-
den to undertake to describe their proc
ess of growing, or even to advertise the
fact to the public that they are growing
1t. Several, however, have consented
and present in articles, Immediately
succeeding this, their own statements
relative to its growth and the way It was
grown.
II we can believe the books, or the
chemists, or authorities on alfalfa, ton
of alfalfa is equivalent to ton Of bran
In feed value. Therefore, whoever pro-
duces three or four tons Of alfalfa from
an acre OF ground has really got bank
from which he can mine bran. ], per-
sonally, think that the feeding value Of
alfalfa has not been exaggerated.
There are, however, certain things
which do not seem to be generally un-
derstood that think it might be we'll to
talk about, and some of these things I
propose to discuss in this article. Among
the first of these things 10 the idea that
alfalfa must be grown exclusively on
piece of ground that is broken without
any mixture of other grasses. It GER
tainly would be desirable to grow alfalfa
free from all other grasses, the same as
we devote field to corn or potatoes,
the same as oats or barley are grown,
but this does not seem to be practicable
to Maine conditions at the present time.
The ground is filed with the seeds of
old grasses, like witch grass and June
grass and other native grasses that come
In and occupy certain amount OF the
surface, but It should be remembered,
that, If but one hundred plants Of alfalfa
are grown to the acre, you have displac-
ed one hundred plants OF some other
kind Of grass. II you raise one thou
sand plants of alfalfa to the acre you
have displaced one thousand plants Of
the other grasses.
As the crop becomes habituated to the
soil by few years. growth-if re.seeded
to alfalfa-still more plants will grow
until ultimately the alfalfa can be grown
exclusively. It is, therefore, the first
essential to make up your mind-if you
intend to raise alfalfa-to seed 1t with
other grasses. In other words, II you
seed to clover, introduce five or ten
pounds of alfalfa seed. II 1t comes,
we'll and good; II 1t does not, you have
not lost any great amount OF money,
as alfalfa seeds cost but little
more than other seeds.
It is my experience that there are Ger.
tain conditions to be observed before al
falfa should be sown at all. They are
few and simple and they apply equally
we'll to all ground that 10 going to be
seeded, whether to alfalfa or to any 9TH
or grass.
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL
It would be the height Of foolishness
to attempt to SOW alfalfa on land that 's
freshly broken up, or upon land however
long 1t may have been broken, II 1t is not
subdued. Different men
look upon the subduiDg of land with
different eyes, but everyone must know
when land Is thoroughly titled. The
man, especially, who grows potatoes
year after year knows that 1t must be
free from weeds and witch grass In or
der to dig with q machine. When
ground is free from all weeds and grass
it is then thoroughly pulverized, there
being no sods or tussocks in the ground,
and is then In proper condition to be
prepared for the seed OF any grass.
II this ground has been previously ma
nured with barnyard manure, or has re-
eeived various applications OF CONNER
cial fertilizer, or in other ways has been
made fertile, 1t is good seed bed 90 far
ss the condition OF the ground is con-
cerned. n, on the other hand, 1t is I'LL.
ed with witch grass roots, or with weed
seeds or any kind of grass roots, IL 10
not In q shape to seed.
A great deal has been said about lime.
It is Q fact that all ground in the older
part of the state should be lined II 1t is
to be sown to alfalfa or any kind OF
grass, II the best results are to be OBJ.
taiued. To lime land where potatoes
are about to be grown is considered by
some bad practice, but no bad results
need be expected by using caustic lime
in the older parts OF the state In newer
parts it Is barely possible that bad re-
suits might be obtained. In the sowing
81 alfalfa it is not only desirable, but IL
ID absolutely necessary, that lime be
ased in large quantities. One ton to the
acre Ia no more than enough to grow red
,loyer on, whereas, II two tons to tho
scrs is used alfalfa will thrive much
more readily.
METHOD OF sRHDINa 3y
Those who have frequently talked
sbout the growing Of alfalfa have con-
veved the Impression that this crop 10 to
be- grown exclusively. A previously
exclaimed, It 10 not desirable to SOW this
orop exclusively on the ground, but
rsther TO SOW It in connection with other
~rssses or with timothy and red clover.
Then, In case the alfalfa fails to survive.
you have the ground already seeded and