The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-25
TO GROW ALFALFA
GET RIGHT START
Drainage First Essential-PIowinl
Must Be Done at the
Proper Time
WHAT is IDEAL Seeded?
Ground Must Be Dragged and
Dragged and Dragged Again
and Then Properly Firmed
prepared Especially for this News
paper by the Editors of Ma
TIONAL ALFALFA JOURNAL.)

I
paper by the Editors of Ma.
TIONAL ALFALFA JOURNAL.)
A farmer came into our office one
day and declared, in the popular
slang Of the day, that he was "off
| this alfalfa growing" He was
clean, plumb discouraged. Had tried
to grow the stuff again and again
and had always failed. Never want
| ed to hear or read about it again.
The case of this man is typical.
Thousands of other intelligent men
have tried and failed in growing al
fa1fa. Their failures, like his, can,
in practically every case, be attri-
buted to the fact that they did
not go at it right.
Getting the Proper Drainage.
The seed bed has to be in just
the proper condition If it is to be
the home of successful field of
alfalfa. Above all things the land
must be we'll drained. If the water
stands within even three feet of the
surface, the alfalfa plant cannot
grow or live. A sloping field is
preferable, though tiled land is all
right for this plant. The old ad-
age, alfalfa will not stand wet
feet'-though you may have heard
it ten thousand times-is absolutely
true, and must be ever in the mind
of the man who would grow alfalfa.
1t may be set down as pure
waste CT time to sow alfalfa on soil
where the bedrock is close to the
surface or on land where the sub
soil is hardpan. Alfalfa is a deep
roofing plant. 1t is essential to it's
life that the roots penetrate IL, "a
and SO inches into the earth for its
food. If the subsoil is of such
solid material as bedrock and hard
pan, the roots cannot pierce 1t and,
as a. consequence, the plant is short
lived. This difficulty is being over
come in many places by dynamiting
the subsoil-and that is probably
the only way to overcome it.
Will Grow on Any Soil.
The plant will grow in practically
any kind of soil to be found in the
United States, Canada or Europe.
Alfalfa does do best, apparently, on
loan, silt loan or sandy loan. The
attractiveness of these soils may be
honestly said to be due, principally,
to the fact that the crop is more
easily started in them. Once es
tablish the plant in heavy clay
or in sandy soil and you need take
a rear chair for no one. Clay soil
will need to be more closely ex-
amined for drainage than any other
soil. The don 't-forget-it-for-a-
ute precaution is to get rid of stand
ing water in or on the land.
A field that was well MANFRED and
which has just grown crop of corn
or potatoes is in the best condition
for an alfalfa field. 1t is taken for
granted that the corn or potato crop
was repeatedly cultivated. Weeds
share with standing water the dis
tinction of being alfalfa's most bit
ter enemy. 1t is assumed, too, that |
the field was plowed deeply for the |
cultivated crop. A good, clean field |
of grain stubble-if such happens |
to be the best drained field on the |
farn1-may be chosen for alfalfa. |
The ground should be plowed the |
fall before, though this is not abso-
Iutely necessary. The nearer the |
time of seeding the blowing is done
the shallower it should be. In fall
blowing the furrow should be cut
at depth of about six inches.
The Ideal Seeded
The ideal seed bed-and 1t is
we'll to approach the ideal just as
closely as possible-is firm and
moist. 1t should be mellow and fine
Y pulverized, but only to the depth
If one inch-the depth at which
he seed is to be sown. The field
ha ~ q |
made, without ruts or holes to
latch and hold the water.
BY fall blowing it is possible to
lave natures aid for several months
n settling the seed bed. The rain
md snow aid wonderfully In the
process. Frequent narrowing from
he opening of spring until the al
alta is planted must be done; this
5 to keep down the weeds and to
observe the moisture. Sometimes
t is well to harrow the ground as
ften as every 10 days.
If the ground has not been plowed
u the fall extraordinary means
aust be used in order to properly
repare the seed bed. When one
as six weeks leeway between plow-
ng and seeding he may pillow to a
air depth. Some farmers, II they
ave have not been able to start
citing their ground In condition a
considerable time before sowing, |
1erely disc and cross-disc the stub
lie field. This is the thing to do in
UGH cases. Deep blowing just be- :
ore seeding is fatal. At that 1t is
ot very good idea to wait until
he last minute to get the alfalfa
and in shape Late tillage may
ucceed If moisture conditions are
light. But 1t is better to play safely
nd pillow a few weeks before time
or seeding.
How to Help Nature.
s aids to nature In f1rming the
round soil packer or roller comes
i most handily. If the farmer does
OF have these implements he may :
1t the discs straight to pack the
oil. A plank or long drag will do
God work II sent along following
le disc. And meantime, keep har-
owing the soil. Keep the drag go
lg. Give 1t Just one more drag