The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-06-11
plication of barnyard manure.


2. Good, drainage is necessary
to grow alfalfa. This is because too
much water in the soil excludes the
air, hence the oxygen, that is abso-
lutely essential to the growth of all
plants and animals. But drainage
is no great problem in Abbeville
County, so we do not have to worry
about that, except on the bottom
lands.
8. The soil must be in good ply
steal condition. By good, physical
condition mean that the land must
be broken deeply and subsoiled and
thoroughly cut up with a disk har.
row. The soil should be finely pull
verified before sowing seed by run
ming smoothing harrow over it.
a.. Lime is absolutely necessary
for the successful growth of alfalfa,
it will not thrive in a sour soil.
Ground limestone should be applied
before planting at the rate of 4 or
5 tons per. acre, and narrowed in.
s. Another thing necessary is
incubation. The seed should be
inoculated- with government free
culturue, or wet seed with a mix
ture of equal parts of moiasses and
water and add all the inoculated
soil the seed will hold. Another way
to inoculate is by hauling a 1000
lbs. of soil from, a field of alfalfa
or melilotou and broadcasting on the
land where alfalfa is to be planted.
Sow the seed as 500 as possible
after middle Of September.
To grow alfalfa then we must
have a fairly rich soil. if the soil
is not rich enough make it rich. At
ter small grain broadcast Is or 20
loads of barnyard manure per acre,
this will give time for the manure
to :decompose and for the seed to
be killed out. If you do not have
the manure, break land after small
grain, sow 800 lbs. fertilizer pei
acre; or two parts of phosphate and
one part of cotton seed meal. Sow
your peas in three rows and cult
vate to keep down weeds. When
peas are mature cut up. with disk
harrow and turn under, then SOW
broadcast A or 5 tons Of limestone
per acre and harrow in well. After
god rain broadcast 500 lbs. phos-
phate per acre and. harrow in. Then
when the first good: season comes
along SOW your seed at the rate of
not less than 40 lbs. per acre and
cover lightly with harrow or brush
Weeds. are the worst enemy OF al
falfa,l therefore; it is necessary. to
try to have the land as free of them
as possible before planting by
keeping the land clearly cultivated
before sowing. 1t is best to SOW
the seed in the early fall, rather
than in the spring.
Keep Your Alfalfa Patch Fertilixed.
Alfalfa should be fortified every
two or three years during December
or January. Broadcast barnyard
manure every, other year if possible
and run disk harrow. over. alfalfa:
During the latter part of February
apply broadcast. 500 lbs: phosphate
per acre. and harrow in well. About
the fourth year it will be best to
apply limestone about February and
harrow it in well. The alfalfa must
be properly treated if n expects
to get good. retarns from it. Fer
tilization and the application, of
barnyard manure are necessary evs
cry two or three years, and lime
should be applied every four or five
years, because it is not expected, to
last more than four years.
Cut alfalfa when the next shoots
(young plants3 begin to appear
above: the ground; this is about
blooming time.
-ra--- 1900