Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-28

| S25 a ton, it is easy TO see that with
an average harvest OF hve tons per
/ acre how profitable crop il has proven
I 10 be. At the present time alfalfa will
bring more than $40 a ton or a return
[ per acre OF S20o. When this return is
secured. even IL il costs $50 or $50 TO
establish il, still makes il a profitable
and desirable crop.
On a live stock or dairy farm il Is
/ the most valuable crop which can be
/ grown because il is valuable for harry
est AT season of the year when the
I silos are usually empty. on the dairy
/ farm in particular. the milk during
/ April May and June may be tainted
I by the cows prediction for eating
more or less bitter weed. When this
{ tain gets into the milk IL is objection
able Cor human consumption and the
I butter is very unpalatable. The man
who owns the herd therefore suffers
great loss and inconvenience and this
! Is equally true Of his patrons The
man who has an area of alfalfa may
7 cut Il and use il as a soiling crop or
cure i; and feed it as hay. thus obviat-
/ ing The trouble arising from the faint
F ing OF the milk by bitter weed, and al
the same time maintaining his COW in a
-ull flow OF milk According to our eX-
perience. cows rot only relish and thrive
on alfalfa. but the bill for concentrates
I may be cut down quite materially as
+ well. This constitutes one of the most
F Important savings at the present time
I the dairymen can undertake to make.
What must be done to establish an
( area Of this valuable crop. The first
hing is TO get the land ready for
I planting. and 10 do this satisfactorily
one should start several months in ad-
I vance of the intended seeding. Expert
/ ence shows that the autumn is the
J time TO plant alfalfa; that the land
must be relatively rich i'm vegetable
matter: that il must be free of weeds
{ that IL must be well fertilized. and that
il must be carefully prepared so that a.
I fine. friable seed bed containing a suf-
I ncient amount of moisture to insure
rapid termination may be made avail
able To this end start now to get
ready for the planting of alfalfa next
October
First, pillow the land to a good depth
Any kind OF soil that is medium as to
fertility, fairly friable and reasonably
/ we'll drained will answer The best sue
+ cess has been obtained with alfalfa on
clay lands. but we have seen excellent
! crops harvested from much lighter and
/ more friable soils. Indeed we believe
/ Ibis crop is well adapted for cultiva-
ZION Oh a Nlue variety Oh sui " pes
/ which prevail in the south and this
statement is based on careful and ex-
I tended observation. Before breaking
/ the land il is essential that at least
/ two tons of crushed raw rock be OBJ
tanned and scattered over the surface.
Turning IL under to a depth of several
inches will be all right as il will tend
% sweeten the lower areas of the soil
Next apply about 500 pounds OF acid
phosphate. Broadcasting ii will be sat
isfactory. Then SOW the land to COW
meas or velvet beans. We prefer the
former crop because il natures i'm so
much less time. Relatively early seed
ing of the cowpeas is desirable. Just
as soon as they are i'm condition to
/ cut for hay turn them under. DO not
/ be afraid to pillow them down deeply
/ Then harrow and roll the land 1t is
very important that this be done in,
order to bring the moisture TO the sur
face. The land must then be narrowed
and cultivated at least once a week
Ii should be treated as a clean fallow.
IT, this way the moisture il contains
Will be kept IN the soil, and the rapid.
decay Of the pea crop will be insured
which is very desirable in preparing
land for alfalfa.
About the first of Septem Der or not
later than the 10Th apply two tons or
more of crushed raw lime rock This
time il should De scattered broadcast
over the surface of the ground though
! OF course il may be distributed from
the lime drill. Next harrow it in. Let
| the land alone then for a few DAYS;
About the first of October if season
al conditions will permit SOW the alfal-
! IA. Use Is pounds or more of recleaned
carefully selected western grown seed
! This is the best seed for use in the
southeast. The seed should be careful
~ inocuiated with one of the cultures
which may be obtained from several
sources. This is very important and
necessary with alfalfa. II is one of
those fine seeded Ieguminous crops
which does not seem TO he able as A
rule TO introduce into the soil a suf-
| fcient number of the bacteria which
grow in the little knots on it's roots
under normal conditions and thereby
give il the power to assimiIate the
large quantities of atmospheric nitro
| gen necessary to it's proper growth
| and development. Do not allow the seed
to be exposed to the bright sunlight aft
or il has been inoculated and be care
ful to use the inoculating material
strictly in accordance with the instruc-
| tions sent out regarding it's use. Seed
| ing therefore on rather a dark day or
| in the evening is preferable. Cover
| the seed with weeder or with a very
| light harrow. Uniform distribution is
| very important. II can best be accom-
plished by one OF the barrow or hand
/ seeders. Distribution by hand will sell
/ dom result in obtaining a perfectly uni
| form stand, a most important and essen
/ tial matter.
Before seeding alfalfa the ground
Z should be enriched with a mixture con-
tanning about to 4 per cent of nitro
/ gen 10 to - per cent of phosphoric acid.
/ and to per cent of nitrogen. One
/ will say that IT is not practicable to ap-
I ply potash under existing conditions,
and this is true. However. wood ashes
/ could be put on any time within a week
/ before planting. They might be scat
/ tered broadcast over the ground and
/ narrowed in. a ton per acre would no.
/ be too much to use. Wood ashes con-
| tain carbonate of potash. a most vaI,I-
| able and desira BILE form of this element,
| and il will pay to gather up some trash
| and brush around over the woodlot and
/ burn IL. applying the resulting ashes to
/ the land intended for alfalfa. In that
| event an equal mixture OF cotton seed
meal and acid phosphate or any other
/ carrier OF nitrogen may be used. Ap-
/ ply at the rate of not less than 500
| pounds per acre. 1000 pounds would
even the better. Heavy fertilization is
/ III =